Former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar no more

NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Former Lok Sabha speaker and Congress veteran Balram Jakhar died here on Wednesday morning, his son Sunil Jakhar said. He was 92.

He breathed his last around 7 a.m. at his New Delhi residence. The cremation will be held at his tive village Panchkosi near Punjab’s Abohar town at 11 a.m. on Thursday, said Sunil who is a former Punjab Congress Legislative Party leader.

Balram Jakhar had suffered a brain stroke a year ago. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.

He served as the speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989 and played a key role in automation and computerization of parliamentary works.

He was also instrumental in establishing the Parliament Museum. He served as the union agriculture minister in prime minister P.V rasimha Rao-led Congress government. He was also the Madhya Pradesh governor from June 30, 2004 to May 30, 2009.

Prime Minister rendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of Congress veteran Balram Jakhar, saying he had enriched parliamentary democracy.

“Balram Jakhar ji was a popular leader who enriched our parliamentary democracy in his long political journey. Saddened by his demise,” Modi tweeted.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also expressed her condolences on the death of the former union minister here. “The Congress party and the tion will forever remember the contributions made by him during the course of his long public life, particularly to the cause of farming community,” she said. Condoling the death, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram ik in a message recalled how Jakhar, as the Lok Sabha speaker, used to take along all people irrespective of their political affiliations. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also recalled the services of Jakhar in “strengthening democracy”.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also condoled the demise and said, “Balram Jakhar was a great Parliamentarian who enriched Parliamentary democracy with his value-based politics. His contributions to different fields, particularly in the field of farming community are immense. His demise is a great loss to the tion and the void that will be created by his death would be hard to fill. He will be remembered by posterity for his contributions to the country including his role in strengthening Indian Parliamentary Democracy as a Speaker to the Lok Sabha.” The former Lok Sabha Speaker was ailing for over a year following a brain stroke. He suffered respiratory arrest last month. He was 92. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.