Jammu, Jan 20: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Manhas died after a prolonged illness at his residence here on Monday, his party colleagues said. Manhas, 65, is survived by his wife, son and a daughter.
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over Manhas’s death. “Saddened by the demise of veteran leader and former MP Rajya Sabha… He was always committed to the well-being of the people,” the LG said in a post on X.
Manhas, a former president of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP, was sick for the past nearly six months and breathed his last at his Toph Sherkhanian residence in Jammu late this afternoon, BJP’s national executive member Ravinder Raina told PTI.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said Manhas’s death was a “significant loss” for the party.
Chugh said Manhas was one of the BJP’s founding members and served as the J-K BJP president from 2009 to 2012.
Paying rich tributes to Manhas, BJP leader Raina said he was a bold voice of Jammu and Kashmir who represented its people in the Rajya Sabha for six years from 2015.
“He was a disciplined soldier of BJP and his death is an irreparable loss to the party and the community,” Raina said. People will always remember his contribution to their welfare, Raina said.
J-K BJP president Sat Sharma said Manhas would continue to inspire lakhs of BJP workers. “His untimely departure has created a permanent void in the organisation,” he said.
Thakur hails Manhas’s ‘lifelong commitment to public service’
Bharatiya Janata Party’s spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir, Altaf Thakur on Monday expressed heartfelt condolences on the demise of Shamsher Singh Manhas, a senior party leader, former State President of BJP and former Rajya Sabha Member.
In a statement issued here, Thakur described the demise of Manhas as an “irreparable loss” to both the party and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He praised the deceased’s “lifelong commitment to public service” and “immense contribution” to the betterment of the region, saying that his leadership had been a source of inspiration to many.
“Shamsher Singh Manhas Ji’s dedication and tireless service to society have left an indelible mark. His contributions to the BJP and the people of J&K will always be remembered. We stand with his family during this difficult time and pray for strength to bear this profound loss,” Thakur said.
The BJP spokesperson expressed his condolences on behalf of the party and conveyed his thoughts to the grieving family of Manhas, wishing them the strength to cope with the great loss.