BJP veteran RK Sinha dies at 75; top leaders remember his political, business legacy

BJP leaders and Union ministers condoled the death of party veteran and former Rajya Sabha member Ravindra Kishore Sinha, remembering his contributions to politics, journalism, industry and social service, news agency PTI reported.

Sinha, 75, died at his residence in Noida after a brief illness, family sources told PTI.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed grief over Sinha's death and recalled his role in strengthening the BJP and his journey as an entrepreneur.

"The news of the demise of RK Sinha ji, senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and former Rajya Sabha MP, is extremely heartbreaking," Gadkari said.

"I shared a close bond with him. His journey as an entrepreneur, from zero to success in his industry, is remarkable. As a successful entrepreneur and a personality dedicated to ideology, he will always remain a source of inspiration for all party workers," he said in his condolence message.

BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani described Sinha's death as extremely heartbreaking and said his work in journalism, social service, industry and politics would always be remembered.

She also recalled his dedication to the organisation and his efforts to rehabilitate ex-servicemen and generate employment for them.

BJP national general secretary Harish Dwivedi expressed deep grief over Sinha's death, saying the news of his demise after a prolonged illness had saddened him. "His demise has left our hearts deeply anguished and sorrowful," he said.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also condoled the death. He prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family to overcome the loss.

Born in Bihar and educated in Patna, Sinha began his career as a journalist with a Hindi newspaper. He established SIS Enterprises, described as the country's largest private security firm, in the late 1970s and recruited many ex-servicemen who had retired after the Bangladesh war, PTI reported.

The business, now said to be worth thousands of crores, quickly became successful, particularly in the coal belt of the region that was then part of south Bihar and now falls in Jharkhand.

Sinha was known to have been ideologically inclined towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since his student days. He was counted among the BJP's founding members, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 and served on the party's national executive committee.

Leaders remembered Sinha for his work in the BJP, his career in journalism and business, and his efforts to provide rehabilitation and employment opportunities to ex-servicemen.- Ends