New Delhi: Former Delhi chief minister and former Union Minister Sahib Singh Verma died in a tragic road accident in Rajasthan on Saturday. He was 64.
The road accident occurred early on Saturday when the Tata Safari he was travelling in collided with a truck on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Sahajahanpur in Alwar district.
Verma was on his way to Delhi from Sikar when the mishap took place. The vehicle was badly damaged in the accident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) PC Nyola said the mishap took place at around 1430 hours.
Verma, along with three others, was immediately rushed to the Shahjahanpur Government Hospital where the former Delhi CM, his driver and another person travelling in the same car were declared brought dead, the additional SP said.
His security officer sustained serious injuries and was undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said. The driver of the truck was also injured and has been admitted to a local hospital.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and several top party leaders rushed to the spot as soon as the news broke.
Verma leaves behind his wife, two sons and three daughters.
He was a senior BJP leader from the capital city and a national vice-president. Born in a farmer’s family at Mundka Village in Delhi on March 15, 1943, he began the political career as an RSS worker.
He was elected to Delhi Municipal Corporation on Janata Party ticket in 1977. He was re-elected in 1983 on BJP Ticket.
Sahib Singh was made Education & Development Minister in the Delhi Government in 1993 after winning the Assembly elections.
He was much respected among the teachers' community in the capital. He became Delhi chief minister in 1996 and continued on this post for more than two-and-a-half years.
Later, he became the Labour Minister in the Vajpayee Government. He held a Doctorate Degree in Library Sciences.
Big Shock for BJP
Senior BJP leaders expressed shock at the death of Verma and mourned his demise, recalling his contribution to the cause of labourers and farmers. BJP chief Rajnath Singh mourned Verma's death, calling it an irreparable loss.
"He was not only popular in Delhi, but in many parts of the country because he championed the cause of farmers, labourers and the unorganised sector," Singh, who rushed to the accident scene, said.
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha said, "It is very difficult to believe that he is no longer with us. I would not be able to recover from this shock for a long time. He will be missed not only in Delhi but all over the country as he was a national leader."
Senior party leader Ravishankar Prasad described Verma's death as a great loss to the party. "We are very disturbed. This is very ghastly news," Prasad said.
Leader of Opposition LK Advani mourned Verma's death and remembered his contribution to the cause of unorganised labour, farmers and villagers. The senior BJP leader recalled that Verma drew up a Bill for unorganised labour as Labour Minister in the NDA Government.
Verma, he said, also spoke extensively on the unorganised labour at the party's recent national executive meeting and his views were incorporated in the BJP's political and economic resolution.
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