Former BJP national president, and former Union Minister K. Jana Krishnamurthy breathed his last on September 25, 2007 at a private hospital in Chennai following a prolonged illness.
He was 79 and is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters.
Jana, as he is popularly called by admirers, is considered one of the ?cleanest politicians? of the country. He started his political career as a RSS volunteer in 1940 and became the first south Indian president of BJP in 2001. He became Union Law Minister in 2003.
Salutations to Shri Jana Krishnamurthy, a admirable leader, advocate, social worker and a statesman who served for the strengthening of India'sdemocracy. He toiled everyday in the dust of the nation'spolitics, but never allowed the dirt to influence his intrinsic cleanness of financial integrity. He was an active participant in the rough and tough politics of India but throughout his life, he maintained a immaculate life style of financial integrity, high moral values, patriotism, functional austerity and devotion to his party and loyalty to their political leadership. Shri Jana Krishnamurthy must be admired for his ability, courage, detachment and confidence. Organiser salutes Janaji.
Born on May 24, 1928 at Madurai in a family of lawyers, he practised as an advocate in Chennai for over ten years, before he was attracted to the RSS. He later became its Pranth Baudhik Pramukh.
On instructions from the then RSS chief Guruji Golwalkar, he enrolled himself as a member of the Jana Sangh, the previous ?avataar? of the BJP, in 1965.
During the Emergency, he was the secretary of the Resistance Movement in Tamil Nadu. At that time, he came into close contact with some national leaders like George Fernandes, who was staying in the state then. When the Janata Party was formed in 1977, Krishnamurthy was named one of the general secretaries of the party'sTamil Nadu unit.
When the party split in 1980, on the issue of dual membership, Krishnamurthy, a close confidant of A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, became one of the founders of the BJP and was given the charge of southern states.
He then moved to New Delhi in 1993 to head the intellectual cell of the party.
Before becoming president of the party, he was the general secretary and vice-president for many terms. It was his reputation for probity in public life that the BJP cashed on, when Shri Bangaru Laxman was forced to quit as the party president. The circumstances may have made Krishnamurthy the party'sonly choice for the top post.
Jana Krishnamurthy remained for most of his life a low-profile worker of the Sangh Parivar. Such was the man'ssimplicity that even though he held important posts on his visits to Delhi, Shri Krishnamurthy lived in the party offices just like other full-timers. He was a man who was at his best implementing orders.
A great orator in Tamil, English and Hindi, Jana had translated many speeches of Vajpayeeji and Advaniji during their visits to the southern states.
He unsuccessfully contested the 1996 Lok Sabha elections from South Chennai, where he was defeated by DMK'sT.R. Baalu by a narrow margin of 10,000 votes.
In his condolence message, former Prime Minister Shri Vajpayee said that he was deeply saddened by Krishnamurthy'sdemise. ?Jana'sdeath was the loss of a duty-bound and disciplined leader with great management skills, who was instrumental in the party'sgrowth in Tamil Nadu,? Vajpayee said.
Describing him as a dedicated, cultural and skilful administrator, Shri Vajpayee said: ?He was one the pioneers to lay the foundation of the Jana Sangh in South India and the present BJP and expanded it.?
BJP president Rajnath Singh in a condolence message said that the life of Shri Jana Krishnamurthy was a saga of dedication and commitment towards the organisation. He exemplified the principle of simple living and high thinking which is very rare in today'spolitics. He was not only the first person from Tamil Nadu to become the BJP national president but I think He was the only person from Tamil Nadu in last several decades to become the national president of any national party.
President of India Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil condoled the death of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K. Jana Krishnamurthy in Chennai, saying the country had lost a veteran public figure in his passing away.
In a condolence message to his wife Bhagyalakshmi, the President said: ?Krishnamurthy was a parliamentarian, union minister and a lawyer by profession. In his passing away the country has lost a veteran public figure,? said a release issued from the President'soffice.
Mortal remains of BJP leader Jana Krishnamurthy were consigned to flames on September 26, 2007 at the Besant Nagar crematorium, Chennai in the presence of party president Rajnath Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi along with other senior national and state leaders across the party lines.
Former BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu also paid respects to the departed leader along with dozens of party workers.
In his condolence message, Shri Modi recalled the ?six decades of selfless and dedicated service by Krishnamurthy to the party, state and the nation.?
Krishnamurthy, fondly called as Jana by his friends, was a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat till his death.
?As an MP, he took the issues of Gujarati people to the Parliament and worked for the welfare of the people of the state,? Shri Modi said while recalling his association with Krishnamurthy as party'sgeneral secretary, when the latter was the president of BJP from 2001 to 2002.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee sent a representative to convey his condolence message to the family members.
