New Delhi.
Former Defence Minister George Fernandes passed away on Tuesday, 29 January, at the age of 88.
According to media reports, Fernandes was suffering from swine flu in the last few days. Fernandes was also suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for a long time.
He had served as the defence minister in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1998 and 2004. His last stint as a parliamentarian was as a Rajya Sabha MP between August 2009 and July 2010.
Fernandes founded the Samata party and also served as a union minister in the Morarji Desai government. Fernandes stepped down as the defence minister in 2004 after the ‘coffingate’ scandal broke out.
Fernandes Was the Defence Minister During Pokran Nuclear Test
In 1998, India carried out five nuclear tests in Rajasthan’s Pokhran under the guidance of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Fernandes was then the defence minister.
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