New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Balbir Punj, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its former vice president, passed away on Saturday evening. His demise marked the end of a long and influential career in politics, journalism, and public thought.

Punj had been widely regarded as an important member of the BJP’s intellectual and policy-oriented circles. He also served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

He contributed to debates on social, economic, and political issues in the Upper House.

Punj built a distinguished career in journalism before joining politics. He began his professional journey in 1971 with the publication of a daily newspaper named The Motherland.

He joined Financial Express in 1974. He worked for over two decades until 1996 at Financial Express. He was well known for his incisive analysis and commentary. He later served as Executive Editor of The Observer of Business and Politics from May 1996 to March 2000.

Punj had also been actively involved in journalistic institutions. He served as President of the Delhi Journalists Association for two consecutive terms between 1989 and 1991 and was General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists from 1993 to 1995. His contributions extended to media education as well, having chaired a Southeast Asian media training organisation, IIMC, for two years until March 2000.

In public service, Punj held several key roles, including Chairman of the National Commission for Youth and a member of the Delhi Finance Commission during 1996–97. His work reflected a sustained engagement with governance and youth development.

As an author and columnist, he remained active until his final days, writing extensively in Hindi and English newspapers and magazines. In recognition of his lifelong contributions, he was honoured with the Lifelong Devrishi Narad Samman Award on May 18, 2022. His death marks the loss of a veteran journalist, thinker, and political figure.

--IANS

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