Chandigarh, January 2, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
Former Union Home Minister and dalit stalwart of the Congress party Sardar Buta Singh today passed away after a prolonged illness. He was 86 and is survived by two sons and a daughter.
Born on March 21, 1934 at village Mustafapur in Jalandhar district of Punjab Sardar Buta Singh was elected to Lok Sabha eight times. A confidante of Nehru-Gandhi family Sardar Buta singh held important portfolios in Indian Government as Union Home Minister, Agriculture Minister, Railways Minister, Sports Minister and others besides being the Governor of Bihar and Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Death of Sardar Buta Singh is seen as a huge loss for Congress party, which is grappling for survival in national politics, as a he a tallest leader of Dalits in the Congress, with a huge mass appeal and base.
Pertinently, when the Congress has suffered major defeat in 1977 after the ‘Janta wave’, the Congress party was divided but as the lone General Secretary of former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi led Congress party Sardar Buta Singh worked tirelessly to bring party back in power in 1980.
