Ashwani Kumar (politician)

Ashwani Kumar (born October 26, 1952, in Delhi, India; died January 7, 2021) was an Indian politician and lawyer. He served as a Member of Parliament, representing Punjab in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) from 2002 to 2016 as a member of the Indian National Congress.

Kumar held several ministerial portfolios in the Indian government. He served as the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and later as the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. He also served as the Union Minister of Law and Justice, a position he held from 2011 to 2013. His tenure as Law Minister was marked by controversy, particularly surrounding the scrutiny of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report in a coal allocation case, leading to his resignation.

Prior to entering politics, Kumar was a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India. He was known for his legal expertise and contributions to public discourse on legal and political matters. He authored several books, including works on law and governance.