Sanjaya Sinh

2021-12-28T07:18:29Z

164.100.26.246: /* Background */

{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{For|others|Sanjay Singh (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =Dr, Sanjay Sinh.png
| caption =
| office2 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| constituency2= [[Sultanpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Sultanpur]]
| predecessor2 = [[Mohammad Tahir Khan]]
| constituency1= [[Assam]]
| office1 = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]]
| successor2 = [[Varun Gandhi]]
|term_start1 = 10 April 2014
| term_end1 = 30 July 2019
| term_start2 = 2009
| term_end2 = 2014
| constituency3= [[Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Amethi]]
| term_start3 = 1998
| term_end3 = 1999
| predecessor3 = [[Satish Sharma]]
| successor3 = [[Sonia Gandhi]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|09|25|}}
| spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|[[Garima Singh]]|1973|1995|reason=Divorce}}|{{marriage|[[Ameeta Singh]]|1995}}}}
| father =
| children = 4
| party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]],<br />[[Indian National Congress]] (till July 2019)
| residence = Bhukpati Bhawan Palace, Ram Nagar, [[Amethi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]<ref name="National Portal of India">{{cite web| url=https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/sanjay-sinh-dr |title=Sanjay Sinh Profile |website=[[Government of India]] |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>
| alma_mater = [[Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University|Awadh University]]
| occupation = Politician, social worker
|source = http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/memberbioprofile.aspx?mpsno=3929&lastls=15
}}

'''Sanjaya Sinh''' (also known as '''Sanjay Singh''', born 25 September 1951)<ref name="rajya sabha">{{cite web |url=http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/s.pdf |page=39 |title=Rajya Sabha Members - Brief Biographical Sketches 1952-2003 - S |publisher=Rajya Sabha Secretariat |access-date=21 February 2017}}</ref> is an Indian politician and a former member of the [[Rajya Sabha]]. He was twice elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh]] during the 1980s and held state ministerial posts. In 1990, he became a member of the upper house of the [[Parliament of India]], which is known as the [[Rajya Sabha]], and in 1998 he was elected to the lower house, called the [[Lok Sabha]]. His term in the [[12th Lok Sabha|12th Lok Sabha session]] lasted until the following year. Subsequently, in 2009, he was successful in obtaining a second term in that house as a member of the [[15th Lok Sabha]] representing the [[Sultanpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Sultanpur constituency]] of Uttar Pradesh. He represented the state of [[Assam]] in the [[List of current members of the Rajya Sabha|Rajya Sabha]]. He resigned from [[Rajya Sabha]] and [[Indian National Congress]] to join [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] on 30 July 2019.<ref name="Times of India">{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=Sanjay Sinh resigns from Congress, Rajya Sabha, to join BJP {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sanjay-singh-resigns-from-congress-rajya-sabha-to-join-bjp/articleshow/70448603.cms |access-date=31 July 2019 |work=The Times of India |date=31 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Singh has held various ministerial portfolios and committee positions over the years, including as [[Union Minister]] for Communications in 1991.<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

==Background==
Sanjay Sinh was born on 26 September 1951. His father was Raja Rananjay Singh.<ref name="National Portal of India" /><ref name="rajya sabha" /> He married his first wife [[Garima Singh]] in 1973, with whom he has a son and two daughters. He obtained a [[decree]] of divorce with Garima in 1995. However the decree was annulled by the [[Allahabad High Court]] on appeal<ref name="India Today">{{cite news |work=India Today |title=Allahabad High Court invalidates former Union minister Sanjay Singh-Amita Modi marriage |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19960615-allahabad-high-court-invalidates-former-union-minister-sanjay-singh-amita-modi-marriage-835067-1996-06-15 |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref> and later by the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref>{{cite web |work=Indian Kanoon |title=Sanjay Singh vs Garima Singh on 3 March, 1998 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/672141/ |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref> He married [[Ameeta Singh]] in April 1995. He also adopted Ameeta's daughter from her previous marriage.<ref name="rajya sabha" /><ref name="toi">{{cite news |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/Battle-royal-in-Amethi/articleshow/39520782.cms |title=Battle royal in Amethi |first=Swati |last=Mathur |date=3 August 2014 |access-date=4 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=New York Times |title=India Murder Scandal Mixes Sex and Politics |first=Bernard |last=Weinraub |date=28 August 1988 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/28/world/india-murder-scandal-mixes-sex-and-politics.html |access-date=7 February 2018}}</ref>

A part of his education was at the city's Ranvir Rananjay Post-Graduate College and he gained an MA in [[Hindi]] and a PhD from [[Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University|Awadh University]].<ref name="15thLokSabha">{{cite web |url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=3929|title=Fifteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>

Aside from his involvement in politics, he has listed his professions as being an agriculturalist, pilot and a social worker. He holds the rank of Major (retired) in the [[Territorial Army (India)|Indian Territorial Army]] and also has a private pilot's license.<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

==Political career==
Singh had lent support to [[Sanjay Gandhi]] when that member of the [[Nehru-Gandhi family]] had chosen to contest the [[Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Amethi constituency]] in the [[1980 Indian general election|elections of 1980]]. The Amethi area has strong links to the Nehru-Gandhi family and at that time the neighbouring constituency of [[Rae Bareli (Lok Sabha constituency)|Rae Bareli]] was held by Sanjay's mother, [[Indira Gandhi]]. He subsequently became a friend of [[Rajiv Gandhi]], who succeeded Sanjay as the representative for Amethi.<ref name="TOI20030821" />

His association with the Gandhi family "shot [him] into political limelight", according to ''[[The Times of India]]''. However, Singh left the Gandhi-led [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) party in 1988 and joined [[Janata Dal]], which was led by a relative of his first wife. Despite a general mood favouring Janata Dal, Singh's attempt to oust Rajiv Gandhi in the [[1989 Indian general election]] did not reflect it and he was heavily defeated by the incumbent. He later changed his allegiance to that of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) and in the [[1998 Indian general election|1998 Lok Sabha elections]] he won the Amethi constituency seat.<ref name="TOI20030821" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/sep/10flip.htm |first=T. V. R. |last=Shenoy |title=Bellary's shadow looms over Amethi |date=10 September 1999 |work=rediff.com |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref> After [[Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi|the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi]], a colleague of Gandhi in the INC, [[Satish Sharma]], had become the Amethi representative but he neglected his constituents and caused them to flock to Singh. Although Singh stood again as the BJP candidate in the [[1999 Indian general election|elections of 1999]], on that occasion he was faced with a challenge from the widow of Rajiv Gandhi, [[Sonia Gandhi|Sonia]], who played heavily on her family's contributions to the area. Singh lost.<ref name="TOI20030821">{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-08-21/india/27200369_1_amethi-lok-sabha-constituency-gandhi-family-rajiv-gandhi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104190428/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-08-21/india/27200369_1_amethi-lok-sabha-constituency-gandhi-family-rajiv-gandhi |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 November 2012 |title=Sanjay Singh comes full circle |date=21 August 2003 |agency=TNN |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Frontline19991008">{{cite journal |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1620/16200160.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624013509/http://hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1620/16200160.htm |archive-date=24 June 2009 |title=Amethi's pride |first=Venkitesh |last=Ramakrishnan |journal=Frontline |volume=16 |issue=20 |date=8 October 1999 |url-status=usurped |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>

He rejoined the INC in 2003, choosing to announce his move on the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.<ref name="TOI20030821" /> He gained a second term as a member of the lower house of the Parliament of India in the [[2009 Indian general election|elections of 2009]]. {{As of|2009|alt=Since that time}}, he has represented the Sultanpur constituency as a member of the INC.<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

The Lok Sabha profile shows that he has held the following positions:<ref name="15thLokSabha" />
* Member, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (two terms) 1980–1989
* Minister of State, Forests, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh 1982–1985
* Minister of Transport, Uttar Pradesh 1985–1987
* Member of the Rajya Sabha 1990
* Union Minister, Communications, 1990–1991
* Elected Member of the 12th Lok Sabha, 1998. BJP candidate from [[Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Amethi]]
* Member of the Committee on Human Resource Development and its sub-committee on Value Based Education 1998–1999
* Member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Defence 1998–1999.
* Member, Joint Committee on Offices of Profit Member, 1998–1999
* Lost to Sonia Gandhi in 1999 as BJP candidate from [[Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Amethi]]
* Elected to 15th Lok Sabha (second term) 2009. Congress member from [[Sultanpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Sultanpur]]
* Member, Committee on Rural Development. 31 August 2009
* Member, Committee on Petitions. 23 September 2009
* Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. 23 September 2009
* Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation. 23 September 2009
* Congress Party Rajya Sabha Member, from Assam, 2014-2019.
* Came third, with only 41,000 votes, as Congress candidate from [[Sultanpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Sultanpur]]
* Joined BJP in July 2019.

He served from 1 September 2015 to 30 July 2019 as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers. He resigned from [[Rajya Sabha]] and [[Indian National Congress]] to join the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] on 30 July 2019.<ref name="Times of India" />

==Community involvements==
He has noted "games and sports" as his "favourite pastime and recreation" and that his special interests are flying, riding, shooting and swimming. {{As of|2009|alt=As of the 15th Lok Sabha}}, he was President of the Uttar Pradesh Hockey Association and of the Uttar Pradesh Football Sangh, as well as Vice-President of the [[All India Football Federation]]. At that time he was also a member of clubs in [[Lucknow]] and [[New Delhi]] and was serving on the governing body of the [[Sports Authority of India]]. Other involvements included the [[Delhi Development Authority]] and the [[Siri Fort Sports Complex]] in New Delhi.<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

Singh has an interest in the upliftment of disadvantaged rural populations. and he founded the Rajarshi Rananjay Sinh Jan Kalyan Samiti, which operates primarily in the sphere of providing free healthcare. Since 1998, the organisation has also organised mass marriages on an annual basis, which has been described as "pioneering work ... arranging mass marriages of girls of poor people with no distinction based on caste, community, religion or class".<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

At various times, Singh has served as an officer or president of numerous schools and colleges in Amethi. He has also been chairman of the Pradesik Co-operative Dairy Federation of Uttar Pradesh.<ref name="15thLokSabha" />

==Personal life==
===Murder of Syed Modi===
[[Syed Modi]], a [[badminton]] player who had won numerous national and international titles, was shot dead on 28 July 1988 in Lucknow. The murder attracted worldwide attention. There were suggestions that Modi's wife, Ameeta, was involved in a relationship with Singh, who was a close friend of the couple and at whose house they had married. In late August, the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) launched a search of Singh's house.<ref name="NYT19880828">{{Cite news|url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DF123CF93BA1575BC0A96E948260|title = India Murder Scandal Mixes Sex and Politics|date = 28 August 1988|newspaper = The New York Times|access-date = 1 March 2012|author = Bernard Weinraub}}</ref> The investigation was urged upon the CBI by the government of Uttar Pradesh and in November 1988, Ameeta Modi, Singh and another politician, [[Akhilesh Kumar Singh]], were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Four others were charged with the murder itself. Subsequently, Modi, Sanjay Singh and Akilesh Singh successfully challenged the charges laid against them, resulting in the charges against Modi and Sanjay Singh being dropped in September 1990 and those against Akilesh Singh following the same course in 1996. The [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] upheld the rulings of the lower courts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Syed Modi case closed, motive unclear |first=Ravi Singh |last=Sisodiya |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-23/india/28186767_1_cbi-probe-syed-modi-chargesheet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024131417/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-23/india/28186767_1_cbi-probe-syed-modi-chargesheet |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 October 2012 |date=21 August 2009|newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>

===Assault on Sanjay Singh===
The campaign for November 1989 elections was blighted by large scale violence. Sanjay Singh, campaigning for Janata Dal, was shot at, and had to be hospitalized in serious condition.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Awasthi |first1=Dilip |title=Both Rajiv Gandhi's and V.P. Singh's constituencies were affected by poll malaise |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/19891215-widespread-nature-of-electoral-violence-this-time-comes-into-stark-focus-816854-1989-12-15 |access-date=17 August 2019 |work=India Today |date=15 December 1989 |language=en}}</ref>

===Disputed divorce and disputed remarriage===
Singh claims to be married to Modi's widow, Ameeta, but his first wife, Garima, has contested the legitimacy of the marriage. Both the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court of India have declared the alleged mutual divorce between herself and Singh in 1995 to be null and void.<ref name="India Today"/><ref>{{cite web |work=Indian Kanoon |title=Sanjay Singh vs Garima Singh on 3 March, 1998 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/672141/ |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref> Singh has accepted the court rulings but denies her claim that they were made because he arranged for an imposter to portray her in the divorce case. Despite the rulings, he maintains that Ameeta is his legally wedded wife.<ref name="outlook">{{cite news |last1=Pradhan |first1=Sharat |title=Battle Of Amethi, II |url=https://magazine.outlookindia.com/story/battle-of-amethi-ii/291562 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Outlook |date=August 11, 2014}}</ref>

===Inheritance dispute===
In 2014, the marital arrangements resulted in a public dispute regarding property inheritance. Singh and his wife, [[Ameeta Singh|Ameeta]], live at Bhupati Bhawan, a 450-year-old former royal palace in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, that Garima had to leave around the time of the now-voided divorce. In July 2014, Garima returned to claim the right of inheritance for her son and grandson which she felt was endangered because, she claims, Ameeta had been selling the properties as well as transferring them into the [[charitable trust]] headed by her.<ref name="ET">{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Manmohan |title=Royal fued [sic]: 50-year-old Bhupati Bhawan Palace in Amethi locked in inheritance battle |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/royal-fued-50-year-old-bhupati-bhawan-palace-in-amethi-locked-in-inheritance-battle/articleshow/42938530.cms |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=The Economic Times |date=20 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="HT">{{cite news |last1=Ghosh |first1=Paramita |title=The new squabble at Amethi: Domestic troubles of Sanjay Sinh enter the fray |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/the-new-squabble-at-amethi-domestic-troubles-of-sanjay-sinh-enter-the-fray/story-WyPD9bPn2K4DLNU57jmywJ.html |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=17 August 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

On 25 July 2014, Garima Singh reached the palace along with her children. A row developed between her party and people guarding the building, news of which soon spread to nearby villages and attracted people who supported her and her eldest son, Anant Vikram Singh. A fight ensued.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Atiq |title=Sanjay Singh, kids locked in battle over Amethi palace |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanjay-singh-kids-locked-in-battle-over-amethi-palace/article6252949.ece |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=The Hindu |date=27 July 2014 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name="intoday">{{cite news |last1=Srivastava |first1=Piyush |title=Amethi maharaj Sanjay Sinh in nasty property feud |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/amethi-maharaj-sanjay-sinh-in-nasty-property-feud-202295-2014-07-31 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=India Today |date=31 July 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

On 14 September 2014 Sanjay and Ameeta were about to enter the palace, where Garima and the children were now living, when clashes erupted between the opposing supporters. Police resorted to a baton charge to control the situation. Several people were severely injured, there were claims of police brutality<ref name="yahoo">{{cite news |last1=ANI |title=Amethi clash: 18 arrested, one media person injured(Update) |url=https://in.news.yahoo.com/weather/amethi-clash-18-arrested-one-media-person-injured-124116127.html |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Yahoo News |date=14 September 2014 |language=en-IN}}</ref> and a policeman was killed.<ref name="DNA">{{cite news |last1=Gidwani |first1=Deepak |title=Amethi royal dispute gets ugly as cop dies in firing |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-amethi-royal-dispute-gets-ugly-as-cop-dies-in-firing-2018700 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=DNA India |date=15 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

During the inheritance dispute, Anant Vikram Singh has demanded a further CBI inquiry into the killing of Syed Modi.<ref name="ET" /> Garima Singh and her children claim that the local administration has been working in tandem with Singh and continuously posed obstacles in their way to obtain justice.<ref name="outlook" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{twitter|id=DrSanjaySinhMP}}
* [http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/memberbioprofile.aspx?mpsno=3929&lastls=15 Official biographical sketch in the Lok Sabha website]
* [https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/s.pdf "RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 1952 - 2003"]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinh, Sanjaya}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Amethi]]
[[Category:15th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:12th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 1980–1985]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 1985–1989]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Samajwadi Janata Party politicians]]

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Sanjaya Sinh