New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Virendraa Sachdeva on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, calling his passing an 'irreparable loss' to the party and the nation.

Speaking to ANI, Sachdeva recalled Malhotra's instrumental role in the ideological and organisational foundations of the party. 'It is an irreparable loss... I have worked with him continuously for many years... His signatures are on the founding charter of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),' he said.

Highlighting Malhotra's contributions to the growth of the BJP in the national capital, Sachdeva added, 'He became the president of Delhi Jan Sangh, then the president of Delhi Janata Party, and later the president of Delhi BJP. He has inspired many workers like us...'

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also paid tribute to the veteran leader, stating, 'Professor Vijay Kumar Malhotra...laid the foundation stone of modern Delhi that we see today...He was an inspiration to all of us workers...'

According to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Malhotra, aged 93, passed away in New Delhi on the morning of September 30.'Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra Ji, a senior BJP leader aged 93 years, was admitted to AIIMS New Delhi, where he passed away in the morning of 30th September 2025,' AIIMS said in an official statement. His mortal remains were brought to his residence.

Born on December 3, 1931, in Lahore, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan), Malhotra was the fourth of seven children of Kaviraj Khazan Chand. A politician and sports administrator, he was elected President of the Delhi Pradesh Jana Sangh (1972-75) and later twice as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi Pradesh (1977-80, 1980-84).

Alongside leaders such as Kedar Nath Sahni and Madan Lal Khurana, Malhotra is credited with maintaining the BJP's strength in Delhi for decades. His most notable political victory came in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, when he defeated former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by a large margin.

Over his career, he served as a five-time Member of Parliament and a two-time MLA from Delhi, becoming one of the senior-most BJP figures in the capital. In the 2004 general election, Malhotra was the only BJP candidate to win a seat in Delhi.

According to the BJP, Malhotra enjoyed an unblemished and clean image throughout his distinguished career. An educationist with a doctorate in Hindi literature, Malhotra was also active in social work and the administration of sports bodies, including chess and archery clubs in Delhi. (ANI)