The raging second wave of Covid19 claimed another prominent personality in India. Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union minister, Chaudhary Ajit Singh passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram on Thursday morning, his son Jayant Chaudhary confirmed.

Ajit Singh, who was 82 years of age had contracted Covid-19 and was tested positive last month.

Jayant tweeted, “Chaudhary Ajit Singh ji was diagnosed as Covid positive on the 20th April. He battled his condition till the very end and breathed his last today morning, the 6th of May, 2021.”

Senior party members claimed that Chaudhary Ajit singh’s cremation, was a low-key affair with only close family members in attendance, due to the raging second wave of the pandemic.

Jayant further added in a tweet, “As the nation confronts the horrific pandemic, it is our humble request to all those who wish to pay their respects, to please stay at home as far as possible. We must observe all safety protocols to keep ourselves and everyone around us healthy and safe. This would be the best way to honour Chaudhary Sahib as well as those Covid warriors who are working night and day to protect us.”

Ajit Singh was the son of the fifth Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was a pioneer leader in the area of land and agricultural reforms. Charan Singh was known as the farmer’s Prime Minister.

Also See: An overview of farmers’ protests- role of Charan Singh

Ajit Singh had served as the Union minister of industry in former Prime Minister VP Singh’s cabinet from December 1989 to November 1990. He had later served as the Union minister of food in the PV Narasimha Rao cabinet and again as the minister of agriculture from 2001 to 2003 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. When his party-RLD joined the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2011, Chaudhary Ajit Singh came on board to serve as the Union minister of civil aviation from December 2011 to May 2014 under the then Prime Minister, Dr. Man Mohan Singh.

Connection with Muzaffarpur

Ajit Singh had a special connection with Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, as per a Co-Operative leader from the region. Charan Singh as PM had visited Muzaffarpur in 1974 during the land movement. Charan Singh was there to address the issues and problems faced by farmers in the region over various angles like irrigation and control of landholdings. Co-Operative leader in Muzaffarpur, Virendra Rai had met Ajit Singh in Ajmer, when the latter had recounted the incident of the visit by Charan Singh to Muzaffarpur, which had forged a special connection for the region in Ajit Singh’s heart and soul.

Hence, apart from the national political circle, the former RLD leader Ajit Singh will also be missed in Muzaffarpur of Bihar.