Congress Leaders Including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Express Grief on Demise of Amar Singh

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and a host of senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, condoled the demise of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh on Saturday.

Singh, 64, who once wielded immense influence in power circles as a close aide of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, died in Singapore where he was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments.

While Sonia Gandhi sent her condolences to Singh's family, Rahul Gandhi along with other party leaders took to Twitter to express grief.

"I am saddened to hear about the sad demise of Amar Singh ji. My condolences to his family and loved ones," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said he was anguished to hear about the passing away of Singh.

"He will always be remembered as a valued colleague and wonderful human being. My condolences to his family and well-wishers," he tweeted. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad also said he was saddened by Singh's death.

"He was a fighter throughout his life and he fought for his own life from the hospital bed till his last breath," Azad said in a statement he shared on Twitter. May God grant Singh a place at his feet, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in her condolence message.

"I express my deepest condolences to his grief-stricken wife and daughters," she said in a tweet in Hindi. Deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma described Singh as "a multi-faceted and intensely engaging persona" who had wide-ranging interests from business, cinema, music, and politics.

"He made friends across the political spectrum. Good friend and implacable foe. Amar Singh will be missed by all who came in his contact," he added. Singh had undergone a kidney transplant in 2011 and was not keeping well for a long time. He was admitted to a hospital in Singapore some eight months ago.