The veteran Congress leader and former union communication minister Pt Sukhram died of cardiac arrest in AIIMS Delhi this morning at the age of 94 after being admitted here after he suffered a severe brain stroke on 4 th May in Manali. The nonagenarian leader was brought to Delhi AIIMS by a helicopter arranged by the Himachal CM Jairam Thakur. Sukhram who served as minister of communication from 1993 to 1996 during the tenure of then prime minister Narsimha Rao was a towering Congress leader from Himachal Pradesh, then thrice MP from Mandi and earlier fiver term lawmaker from legislative assemblies. Having earlier served as state union minister of defence, food supplies and planning during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure he served as a cabinet minister later on from 1993 to 1996 playing a major role in bringing mobiles in the country as communication minister. However, after being involved in a telecom scam with Rs 3 to 4 crores found by CBI from his house in Delhi, with his son,he was arrested and expelled from Congress joining BJP later on. The business of the lok sabha proceedings remained affected for several days then, finally Pt Sukhram joining Bhartiya Janata Party. Later on he had formed Himachal Vikas Congress in 1998 and made post election alliance with BJP becoming a minister in the state government. According to his family sources the last rites of the leader will be performed at Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
