Ex-Union minister Sriprakash Jaiswal dies at 81

Jaiswal fell critically ill on Friday evening and was first taken to a nursing home in Kidwai Nagar. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the Cardiology Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Born in 1944 in Kanpur to Ganga Prasad Jaiswal and Chandrakali Devi, Jaiswal remained deeply connected to his hometown throughout his life. He studied at BNSD Inter College and entered public life early, being elected mayor of Kanpur in 1989. He went on to win the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat in 1999, 2004 and 2009, becoming a three-term MP and one of the party’s most influential leaders in Uttar Pradesh.

Jaiswal served as president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) from 2000 to 2002. Under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, he held key portfolios — first as minister of state for home affairs (2004–09) and later as coal minister (January 2011–May 2014).

In 2009, in the wake of attacks on Indian students in Australia, Jaiswal travelled to Melbourne to assess the situation firsthand. His visits to hospitals, temples and public transport systems helped draw international attention to the issue.

Even after losing the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he remained active in Kanpur’s political and civic life.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge remembered him as a “true and loyal Congressman who worked diligently for the development and welfare of Kanpur,” calling his death a major loss for the party.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "The news of the passing of my colleague in the UPA government, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal, is deeply saddening. He was a true and dedicated Congressman who worked diligently for the development and welfare of Kanpur."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the passing of former Union minister and senior Congress stalwart Shriprakash Jaiswal as “deeply heartbreaking.”

He said Jaiswal’s unwavering commitment to public service and his steadfast loyalty to the party “stand as a shining exemplar of dignity, dedication and duty”. His loss, Gandhi noted, is “irreplaceable—not just for the Congress, but for all who cherished his integrity and gentle strength.”

“In this moment of profound sorrow, my thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his bereaved family, his countless supporters and all those whose lives he touched with grace and humility,” he said.