Founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party Prof Bhim Singh, also known as Sher-e-Jammu, passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness in Jammu. He was 81 and survived by his wife and son.

Born in August, 1941 in Ramnagar area of the erstwhile state of J&K, Prof Singh founded the Panthers Party in 1982, along with his wife Jay Mala. He remained the party chairman for about three decades. He served the state in his capacity as MP, MLA and later as MLC.  Before founding the National Panthers Party, he was a member of the Congress and was the Vice President of the India Youth Congress from 1977 till 1978.

In 2012 he handed over the baton to his nephew Harsh Dev Singh to run the party affairs.  However, he returned to active politics last year amid growing rifts within the party ranks.

Weeks before his death senior party leaders  Harsh Dev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia jumped the sinking ship to join Aam Aadmi party in Jammu to resurrect their own political careers.He supported  the  Congress-PDP alliance government headed by Mufti Mohd Sayeed between 2002-2008.

Condoling the demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Singh would be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir.

"He was very well-read and scholarly. I will always recall my interactions with him. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters," Modi wrote on Twitter.

His death has been mourned by a cross section of the society, including politicians, social workers and businessmen.

"J&K National Panther Party supremo Bhim Singh ji passed away today. My earliest memories of Bhim Singh ji go all the way back to 1984 when he joined with my father to protest the unconstitutional dismissal of the NC government", tweeted former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah.

"Bhim Singh ji was a unique politician with friends cutting across political & geographic lines. He supported the cause of Jammu with as much ease as he did the cause of Palestinians. From Yassar Arafat to Col. Gaddafi he seemed to have met them all with amazing stories to tell. Politics in J&K will be a bit less interesting with the passing of Bhim Singh ji. I join my father & colleagues in conveying our condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace", Omar wrote on his twitter timeline while paying rich tributes to him.

BJP leader Devender Singh Rana expressed his grief, tweeting, “In the sad demise of Prof Bhim Singh ji J&K has lost a prominent political figure who always raised the voice of the people of J&K in all foras . A firebrand leader who came from a remote village in Ramnagar evolved himself with global exposure and understanding. RIP Prof Sahib”.

PDP leader Naeem Akhar also remembered him and wrote, "Recall a typically accented roar from Bhim Singh to Sheikh Abdullah in the Assembly that was still housed in the palace complex (old Sectt):if you are Sher e Kashmir I'm Sher e Jammu. Laughter by SMA too.