New Delhi:
Brajesh Mishra, India's first National Security Advisor, died in the national capital on Friday night due to a heart ailment. Mr Mishra, who would have turned 84 today, was declared brought dead at the Fortis hospital in Vasant Kunj in south Delhi, at around 9:50 pm, hospital sources said.
Mr Mishra was suffering from coronary artery problem for some time. He had asked his domestic help to bring his dinner but was found in an unconscious condition. The security guards were summoned and he was rushed to the hospital.
A career diplomat, Mr Mishra was Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee before he was appointed the National Security Advisor. He was known as a confidante of Mr Vajpayee and had played a crucial role in assisting the former Prime Minister during the Kargil conflict in 1999. During the NDA regime, Mr Mishra was considered one of the most powerful people in the Prime Minister's Office and played a key role in foreign policy matters.
Mr Mishra had earlier retired as Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry after having served as India's Permanent representative to the United Nations.
After the fall of the NDA government in 2004 and the fading away of Mr Vajpayee from the political scene, Mr Mishra had distanced himself from BJP and often criticised the party's stand on various foreign policy issues. Known to be a key advocate of the nuclear deal in the Vajpayee government, he was among the few voices that openly opposed the BJP for its stand against the nuclear deal with the US in 2008.
(With inputs from PTI)