Former minister Morarka dies
Former Union minister and industrialist Kamal Morarka on Friday passed away at his home in South Mumbai. He was
74. He died of a heart attack.
A close friend and senior journalist Santosh Bharatiya told Deccan Chronicle, “Mr. Morarka died after he suffered a heart attack at 7.50 pm. He complained of a cough on Thursday. He did not come to office on Thursday as he was unwell.”
Morarka, who hails from Rajasthan, was survived by two daughters and wife. He was a Union Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government in
1990-91 and a former Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan from JD(S) between 1988 and 1994.
In 2012, he became the head of Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) which was started by Chandra Shekhar and Devi Lal after they broke away from the Janata Dal in 1990.
Morarka, who was born in a well-known business family, donned many hats — a successful businessman, a cricket administrator who was the vicepresident
the BCCI during Jagmohan Dalmia’s time, a minister in the Union cabinet, a wildlife photographer and an organic farmer who has done some great work in Rajasthan to promote agriculture and support farmers. He and his MR Morarka foundation have been also at the forefront to promote art, Sanskrit literature and culture. Morarka was also associated with Indian cricket as an administrator.
He has served as vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. In 2000, he was a member of the BCCI disciplinary committee that took the decision to ban Mohammed Azharuddin. However, years later he criticised the decision as a sham.
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