Former Defence Minister George Fernandes passes away at 88

He was admitted in Max for a very long time and was suffering through Alzheimers.

New Delhi: Former Defence Minister George Fernandes passed away at 88 on Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness.  Fernandes breathed his last at Max hospital in Delhi. Fernandes  is a former Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, agriculturist, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar. He served as a Defence Minister of the country when India defeated Pakistan during Kargil war in 1999. He was admitted in Max for a very long time and was suffering through Alzheimers, which had forced him out of the public eye for last many years, and had recently contracted swine flu Recently, he contracted swine flu. Fernandes was a native of Manglore and was a key member of the Janata Dal and was the founder of the Samata Party. He was sent to Bangalore in 1946 to be trained as a priest. It was during his tenure that India conducted nuclear test at Pokhran in 1998. He was the industry minister under the Jan Sangh government which had defeated former prime minster Indira Gandhi in 1977. Tributes poured in for the veteran leader, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he was frank and fearless, and never deviated from his ideology. "A visionary railway minister and a great defence minister who made India safe and strong. During his long years in public life, George Sahab never deviated from his political ideology. He resisted the Emergency tooth and nail. His simplicity and humility were noteworthy," the PM said.

George Sahab represented the best of India’s political leadership. Frank and fearless, forthright and farsighted, he made a valuable contribution to our country. He was among the most effective voices for the rights of the poor and marginalised. Saddened by his passing away.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2019

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences to Fernandes' family and friends. "I'm sorry to hear about the passing away of former Parliamentarian & Union Minister, George Fernandes Ji," he said in a Facebook post.

Very sad to hear about George Fernandes’ demise. He was a very good friend in his later years. Earlier we had ideological. differences due to his being socialist and I for market based economy but we were united in opposing TDK and residual Nehru family.

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) January 29, 2019

He was the driving force behind the Konkan Railway project during his tenure as railway minister from 1989 to 1990