Senior Congress leader and former union minister Jaipal Reddy dies at 77

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy died at a hospital here in the early hours of Sunday, sources close to him said. e was 77.

He was recently diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital, where he died at 1.28 am, a Congress leader told PTI.

Reddy has been a parliamentarian for several decades since 1984 and held key portfolios in various governments.

He was the information and broadcasting minister in IK Gujral government. During the UPA-1 government he held portfolios like urban development and culture.

In UPA-2, he was again assigned the urban development ministry. Later, he became the minister of petroleum and natural gas. He was then shifted to the science and technology and earth sciences ministries.

Reddy's funeral would take place here on Monday, the sources said.