Veteran Congress leader Sheila Kaul no more

Former Union minister Sheila Kaul, a sister-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former Parliamentarian, died after a brief illness at a hospital in Ghaziabad. She was 101.

A former Himachal Pradesh governor, Kaul was unwell for the past few days and was admitted to Yashoda hospital on Saturday evening where she breathed her last at 8.00 pm.

A five-time MP, Kaul was born on February 7, 1915. She was an arts graduate from Lahore Women's College and had a degree in teaching from Sir Ganga Ram Training College, Lahore.

She was married to renowned botanist Kailash Nath Kaul.

Kaul is survived by sons Gautam Kaul, a retired IPS officer, and Vikram Kaul, an international sports administrator, besides daughter Deepa Kaul, a former information minister in Uttar Pradesh.

Her mortal remains were consigned to flames at 4:30 pm in the presence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and several other party leaders.

Kaul's elder son Gautam lit the funeral pyre.

The Congress president, who reached the Hindon river bank crematorium without any prior intimation, expressed deep sorrow at the passing away of Kaul.

Extending condolences to her friends and family, Gandhi eulogised her role as an MP, Union minister and Governor in public life extending over five decades.

All India Congress Secretary Naseeb Singh, UP Congress Organising Secretary Narendra Rathi, former MLA Gajaraj Singh, along with scores of supporters and local politicians bid farewell to the leader.

Union urban development minister in the P V Narasimha Rao's cabinet, Kaul was accused making out-of-turn allotment of government accommodations in return for monetary gains between 1992 and 1995.

Kaul did not appear before a court hearing the case on the plea that she was suffering from various ailments and confined to bed since 2012. She had not been seen in public for quite some time.