New Delhi, January 29: Former Defence Minister George Fernandes breathed his last at 7 am on Tuesday in Delhi due to prolonged illness. He was 88. The socialist icon served as the defence minister in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1998 and 2004. He has held several ministerial portfolios including communications, industry, railways, and defence. Fernandes was the founder of the Samata Party and rose to fame as an anti-Emergency crusader and civil rights activists. According to reports, Fernandes was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Dies at 93 at Delhi's AIIMS Hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express grief over his demise. "George Sahab represented the best of India’s political leadership. Frank and fearless, forthright and farsighted, he made a valuable contribution to our country. He was among the most effective voices for the rights of the poor and marginalised. Saddened by his passing away", the Prime Minister tweeted.

The icon's last stint as a parliamentarian was as a Rajya Sabha MP between August 2009 and July 2010. Fernandes served as the Defence Minister of India in both the second and third National Democratic Alliance governments (1998–2004). During his tenure as the defence minister, the Kargil war over Kashmir broke out between India and Pakistan in 1999.

George Fernandes was born on 3rd June 1930 to John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha Fernandes, a Mangalorean Catholic family. Talking about his great works, he was the editor of a Konkani language monthly Konkani Yuvak (Konkani Youth) in 1949. The same year, he was the editor of the Raithavani weekly in Kannada. The Dockman weekly in English, which had ceased publication, reappeared under the editorship of Fernandes in 1952–53.

Fernandes has penned several books on politics such as What Ails the Socialists (1972), The Kashmir Problem, Railway Strike of 1974, Dignity for All: Essays in Socialism and Democracy (1991), and his autobiography titled George Fernandes Speaks (1991).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2019 09:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).