Veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh dies

New Delhi: Congress leader and former Union Minister Arjun Singh, who had served in various capacities including as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, died on Friday. He was 80.

Admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) some days ago with chest pain and neuro problems, Singh complained of breathing problem around 5:30 pm. He suffered a heart attack and breathed his last around 1815 hours, sources said.

A loyalist of the Gandhi family, Singh was Vice President of the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi in the eighties and was also Governor of Punjab at the height of militancy and was instrumental in the Rajiv-Longowal accord.

Arjun Singh, 80, was a champion of OBC rights and had been been ailing for sometime.

Incidentally, Singh was dropped from the party's highest policy making body Congress Working Committee on Friday and was made a Permanent Invitee.

Singh leaves behind wife Saroj Devi, two sons - Ajay Singh, an MLA in Madhya Pradesh and Abhimanyu - and daughter Veena.

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