Veteran Cong leader K. Natwar Singh to be cremated on Monday

Former External Affairs Minister and veteran Congress leader K. Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday night at the age of 93, following a prolonged illness. Singh, who had been undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, took his last breath on August 11. His last rites are scheduled to be performed at the Lodhi Road Crematorium on Monday, August 12.

Jagtar Singh, the son of the late Natwar Singh, expressed his grief, stating, “He had been ill for a long time, and his health had deteriorated significantly over the past two months. He was hospitalized for the last month and passed away yesterday. We will perform his last rites at Lodhi Road Crematorium tomorrow.”

RJD MP Manoj Jha paid tribute to Natwar Singh, describing him as a “complete person” with a deep understanding of diplomacy. “I met him a couple of times and read his books. The diplomatic history of India would be incomplete without mentioning Natwar Singh. The vacuum left by his passing cannot be filled,” Jha remarked.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala also confirmed Singh’s demise, expressing his sorrow in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad. May God give strength to his family to bear this loss and grant peace to the departed soul,” Surjewala wrote.

Natwar Singh had a distinguished career in both diplomacy and politics. He served as the External Affairs Minister from 2004 to 2005 in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during the UPA government. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984.