A popular human rights activist, Supreme Court lawyer and founder of the Panthers Party, Bhim Singh died here on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 80 and had formed the Panthers Party in 1982 after breaking away from the Congress in which he was general secretary at the national level.

Cutting across party lines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several political leaders, social activists and others have mourned his death.

Bhim Singh had friendly relations with leaders across the globe, including Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, he met Fidel Castro in Cuba in 1971,

As chairman of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Council, he came in support of Libya’s dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and also knew  executed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein who reportedly named him as one of his lawyers.

Bhim Singh was re-elected unopposed as a senior executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association in December 2016. He provided free legal aid to thousands of helpless prisoners, farm workers and youth all over the country.

He secured release of nearly 300 nationals of Pakistan, Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan, who were lodged in various jails across the country. A number of these prisoners had been languishing in jails.

He is survived by his wife Jay Mala and son Ankit Love, who lives in the United Kingdom.

Bhim Singh’s last days were painful for him as his two nephews, Harshdev Singh and Balwant Mankotia, whom he introduced in politics and both became MLA first time in 2002, were said to be responsible for splitting the Panthers Party and recently joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

In a tweet, PM Modi said; “Prof Bhim Singh Ji will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. He was very well read and scholarly. I will always recall my interactions with him. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti”.

Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah wrote;  “Bhim Singh ji was a unique politician with friends cutting across political & geographic lines. He supported the cause of Jammu with as much ease as he did the cause of Palestinians. From Yassar Arafat to Col. Gaddafi he seemed to have met them all with amazing stories to tell. Politics in J&K will be a bit less interesting with the passing of Bhim Singh ji”.

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said; “J&K has lost a legal luminary & and a great leader who fought tooth & nail for his people”.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said; “He was probably the first leading firebrand political activist of post-independence Jammu And Kashmir and had begun to make an impact from early years”.