PM Modi expresses grief over Akhilesh Das Gupta's demise

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr.12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief following the demise of former union minister and Congress leader Akhilesh Das Gupta, saying the latter's active contribution to public life will be remembered. "Saddened by the demise of former MP & Union Minister, Shri Akhilesh Das. His active contribution to public life will be remembered. RIP," he tweeted.

Saddened by the demise of former MP & Union Minister, Shri Akhilesh Das. His active contribution to public life will be remembered. RIP: PM

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 12, 2017

Meanwhile, the Congress Party also expressed grief over Gupta's demise. "We extend our condolences to family of Congress leader Shri Akhilesh Das who passed away today. Our thoughts & prayers are with his family," the INC tweeted.

We extend our condolences to family of Congress leader Shri Akhilesh Das who passed away today. Our thoughts & prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/CtivGtl7Ju

— INC India (@INCIndia) April 12, 2017

Gupta was the son of freedom fighter late Babu Banarasi Das who served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The noted educationist and a social welfare activist served as the founder chancellor of Babu Banarasi Das University, Lucknow. He was also the chairman of Babu Banarasi Das Educational Institutions that provide education to over 30,000 students every year in the fields of Management, Engineering, Dental Sciences, Pharmacy, Law, Architecture and Social Sciences in Lucknow and Delhi. Das, who was the Mayor of Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) from May 1993- November 1996, contributed extensively in the development of the city. He held the country's most prestigious office as 'Member of Parliament' (Rajya Sabha) for 18 years serving three consecutive terms of six years each from November 1996 to November 2014. He held the office of the Minister for Steel from January 2006 till May 2008 under Dr Manmohan Singh Government during UPA-I regime. He actively served as the secretary of Congress Parliamentary Party between 2003 to 2006 under the chairmanship of Sonia Gandhi. He served as the chairman of the Organizational Election Authority for the Congress in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, and successfully conducted the grass-root level organizational elections of the party in the year 2004-05. Das left the Congress and joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He was the national general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party from 2008 to 2014. Once close to BSP supremo Mayawati, Gupta held the post of party's general secretary. However, he left the party in 2014 after not getting a Rajya Sabha ticket. Gupta rejoined the Congress Party in January 2017ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, claiming it to be his "ghar wapasi". He was also the president of Badminton Association of India, vice-president of Badminton Asia Confederation, a member of the Executive Council of Badminton World Federation and vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association. As a national-level badminton player, Gupta had represented Uttar Pradesh and the country in various International Badminton Tournaments. Gupta, along with other higher officials of the Badminton Association of India, was accused of fraud and nepotism by favoring his own children for goodwill trip to Japan. They were later investigated by the Crime Branch of Investigation (CBI). The CBI completed the investigation and sent its report to the Sports Ministry, Government of India, but no action had been taken yet. (ANI)