Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan passes away at 97

Former Union law minister and eminent jurist Shanti Bhushan: Shanti Bhushan, a famous lawyer and former Union law minister, died at the age of 97. He served as the law minister in the Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government from 1977 to 1979, which came to power after Emergency. Bhushan was one of the Aam Aadmi Party’s first members when it was founded in 2012. Additionally, he had actively taken part in the Anna Hazare-led agitation.

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Bhushan represented politician Raj Narain in the historic case against Indira Gandhi. Freedom fighter and politician Raj Narain, who had unsuccessfully contested the 1971 Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh against Gandhi, had in his plea accused her of corrupt electoral practices. Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court against the high court verdict. It triggered a series of events that culminated in the declaration of an emergency on June 25, 1975.

In his political career, he was a member of the Congress (O) and later of the Janata Party. He served as a Rajya Sabha member too. He also had a six-year stint with the BJP. A vocal activist and jurist, Bhushan was also part of the anti-corruption movement that led to the formation of Aam Aadmi Party. He later quit the party.