Former LS Speaker Balram Jakhar dead

Veteran Congress leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar passed away here on Wednesday. He was 92. He is survived by two sons and two daughters. 

Jakhar served as Speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989 during which he contributed to the establishment of Parliament Museum. He worked extensively for promotion of Parliament Library, smartening the reference, research and documentation system of the House and streamlining information for the members. He also served as Agriculture Minister in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. 

Jakhar also served as Governor of Madhya Pradesh from June 30, 2004 to May 30, 2009. In the party, he became General Secretary All India Congress Committee in 1990 and from 1992 he was member, Congress Working Committee. 

As the Parliament Speaker he allowed the ‘death’ of Devi Lal’s grand daughter-in-law Supriya to be discussed in the House, sparking a major controversy. He was also charged with abetting customs duty evasion in the infamous Fodder Scam. He was also one of the accused in 1991 Hawala Scam along with BJP leader LK Advani and Sharad Yadav. 

In her message to the family of Jakhar, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, “The Congress Party as indeed the entire nation will forever remember the contributions made by him during the course of his long public life, particularly to the cause of farming community.”