Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the family of Marshal Arjan Singh in New Delhi on Saturday. pti

New Delhi, September 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today mourned the death of Marshal Arjan Singh and said India will never forget his excellent leadership in the 1965 India-Pakistan war when the Indian Air Force saw substantial action.”India mourns the unfortunate demise of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. We remember his outstanding service to the nation,” he tweeted. Modi said the determined focus of Singh, who was promoted to the five-star rank of Marshal of the Air Force in 2002, on capacity building in the IAF added great strength to India’s defence capabilities. “India will never forget the excellent leadership of Arjan Singh in 1965, when the IAF saw substantial action,” the PM said in a series of tweets. Modi recalled how the ageing war hero stood up to salute him despite his ill health.”Sometime back I met him, who despite his ill health tried to get up to salute even though I said no. Such was his soldier discipline,” he said.

J&K Guv mourns death

J&K Governor NN Vohra condoled the Marshal’s death. Vohra recollected how since the time he was posted as Defence Secretary (1990-1993) he had been interacting with the Marshal on several issues of importance and national security. Vohra is a 1959-batch Punjab cadre IAS officer. — TNS/PTI

He won nation’s gratitude: PrezPresident Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday condoled the demise of war hero Marshal Arjan Singh, saying he won the nation’s gratitude for his military leadership in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. “Sad at demise of a great air warrior & Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Condolences to his family & IAF community. Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh was a WW II hero & won our nation’s gratitude for his military leadership in 1965 war,” Kovind said in a series of tweets. PTI‘Outstanding soldier & diplomat’Arjan Singh was an outstanding soldier and a diplomat who led from the front. He will be particularly remembered for his successful operation tenure on the Burma front during World War II. He was a jewel in the throne of our armed forces and his extraordinary contribution as an air warrior would always be a source of inspiration to us.— Sonia Gandhi, Congress President‘Great loss to country’The kinds of aircraft he has flown, the positions he held, the awards he has received and number of years of service. It is very rare for any country to have a soldier of that kind of potential. It is a great loss to the country.— Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister