States »NortPosted at: May 15 2021 10:43AM

Six-time MP from Amritsar RL Bhatia dies of Covid-19

Amritsar, May 15 (UNI) Former Union Minister and six times MP from here Raghunandan Lal Bhatia succumbed to Coronavirus on Saturday morning. He was 100.
The veteran Congress leader was admitted to a private hospital after he tested positive for the dreaded virus where he died this morning.
Born on July 3, 1921 in Amritsar, Bhatia was first elected in 1972 to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar Parliamentary Constituency. From 1975 to 1977, he was a member of the executive committee of Congress parliamentary party.

As a member of the Indian National Congress, Bhatia was re-elected to Lok Sabha from the same constituency in the 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996 & 1999 elections. He served several parliamentary committees as Chairman and member besides being the member of several advisory committees of Parliament such as Ministry of Home Affairs, Education, Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Law and Justice and Company Affairs.

He served as president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee from1982 to 84 and also held the post of General Secretary of AICC in 1991.
Bhatia was inducted in the union cabinet as minister of state for External Affairs in July 1992 by the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and remained on the job until 1993.
UNI XC JS SB 1042