Former EAM Natwar Singh Passes Away At 93, PM Modi & More Pay Tribute

Former External Affairs minister and Veteran Congress leader K Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday due to a prolonged illness. As per his family, who confirmed the death to PTI, the former EAM was 93 years old.

Singh died at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, where he had been receiving treatment for the past few weeks.

"His son is there at the hospital, and many more family members are coming to Delhi from his native state for the last rites planned in Delhi. He was not keeping well for some time," a family source told PTI late night on Saturday.

Taking to social media platform X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the former EAM's family.

"Pained by the passing away of Shri Natwar Singh Ji. He made rich contributions to the world of diplomacy and foreign policy. He was also known for his intellect as well as prolific writing. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," stated Modi.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh also took to X and refered to Singh as a "a walking encyclopedia of the worlds of Nehru and Indira Gandhi" and a "delightful conversationalist, storyteller and ready wit."

Who Was K Natwar SIngh?

Born in 1931 in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, Singh was selected into the Indian Foreign Service in 1953. In 1984, he resigned to contest elections as a member of the Congress and proceeded to win and serve as a Union minister of state until 1989.

K Natwar Singh served as a Congress MP and as India's external affairs minister from 2004 to 2005 under the cabinet of Dr Manmohan Singh. For his service as the foreign minister, he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984.

Before his stint as EAM, Singh served as the ambassador to Pakistan and was attached to the office of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1966 to 1971.