The year has been pretty cruel to us. The 64-year-old former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Amar Singh passed away on 1st August.
He was suffering from kidney diseases and was getting a treatment done in Singapore for some time. It was in Singapore that he breathed his last. Amar Singh was born in Alipore, Uttar Pradesh on 27th January. He completed his education from St.Xavier’s college. His education also includes Bachelors in Law from UCL, Kolkata.
The extravagant businessman turned politician had a colourful career with several affluent connections. Several incidents, bordering on controversies speckled his entire life. The death of such an influential politician brings to memory several of his controversial and remarkable stories.
Samajwadi Party reached prominence after supporting the UPA government with 39 members. Although he was an integral part of the party, he was expelled from the party, along with Jaya Prada in 2010 over a controversy. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time in 1996. In 2002, he was re-elected for a seat in Rajya Sabha.
In 2011, he launched his own party, Rashtriya Lok Manch. But it was a failure as his party failed to win a single seat in the elections.
In 2014, he joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal party.
Amar Singh’s controversies were not just restricted to the world of politics. His connections in the world of Bollywood bought him quite famous.
His connection with the Bachchans.
Amitabh Bachchan and Amar Singh’s friendship is not a secret. In fact, Singh was the greatest pillar of Bachchan when his career hit rock bottom. But their friendship was not the one to survive for long. In fact, when Jaya Bachchan joined Samajwadi Party, Sigh proved to be of huge help to Jaya Bachchan’s career. When in 2010, Amar Singh was expelled from the SP, he urged Jaya to leave SP but she refused.
Allegations against Mayawati
Amar Singh, in 2008 accused Mayawati of kidnapping 6 MPs form his Samajwadi Party and keeping them hostage in UP. This stunt against Mayawati is in fact what made SP expel Singh. Along with him, the other six MPs were expelled from the party too.
Controversy involving Bipasha Basu.
Amar Singh was alleged of initiating inappropriate with Bollywood actor, Bipasha Basu. Singh’s phone was tapped which gave rise to the allegations. He shut down the case by saying the conversation was between him and a male friend. He also filed a petition against the regressive act of tapping his phone illegally. Later on, it was proved that the phone call was morphed. A man named Anurag Singh was arrested for cybercrime.
Sporadic career of Amar Singh in films
Despite these allegations and corruptions, Singh was flamboyant in his lifestyle and never feared to try something new in life. In fact, he stepped in movies too. In the movie, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, he can be seen playing a small part. He also played the role of a politician in Shailendra Pandey’s film, JD. Not just Hindi, he even played a part in a Malayalam movie, Bombay Mittayi.
Amar Singh is survived by his wife Pankaja and twin daughters.
Mohona Bhattacharya
Banaras Hindu University
2nd Year, English Hons.
Varanasi, UP. Mohona is an avid reader and equality seeker. She takes a keen interest in painting and finds solace among books, coffee, nature and dogs.
