Who is Abhay Kumar Singh? The Bihar-born Russian MLA batting for stronger Delhi-Moscow ties
Who is Abhay Kumar Singh? The Bihar-born Russian MLA batting for stronger Delhi-Moscow ties
Abhay Kumar Singh is a member of Putin-led United Russia Party (URP) and is currently a 'deputat' [a post very similar to that of a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in India] from Kursk in west Russia. He has been elected from Kursk twice - 2017 and 2022.
With President Vladimir Putin arriving in India on Thursday, Abhay Kumar Singh, a Russian MLA with Indian origins, has backed for stronger ties between Moscow and New Delhi, and said that India should also procure the S-500 missile defence systems, which he said represents the 'latest technology'. Notably, the Russian side has also offered the S-500 system to India and the two sides may hold a discussion over it during Putin's India visit.
"A huge team from Russia is accompanying the President. Russian Health Minister will also come. Discussions on health sector will be taken up. We also have to further our discussions on arms and ammunition. Technology keeps advancing. Arms with advanced technology are coming to us, sign contracts with them and take them to India," he told news agency ANI.
Who is Abhay Kumar Singh?
Singh is a member of Putin-led United Russia Party (URP) and is currently a 'deputat' [a post very similar to that of a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in India] from Kursk in west Russia. He has been elected from Kursk twice - 2017 and 2022.
Singh's roots could be traced to Patna, Bihar. In 1991, he moved to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) to study medicine. In an interview to an English media outlet, Singh had once said that he almost returned to India due to the extreme cold there, but her dean Elena, whom he considered like her mother, somehow convinced him to stay.
"It felt like home and I never left," he recalled.
Joining politics and more
It was after the collapse of the USSR that Singh first saw Putin and got inspired by him. He believes Putin has made Russia stronger and the country is 'at par' with the United States (US). Later, he settled in Kursk and joined politics. His political connections helped Singh become a deputat twice from Kursk.
In one of his interviews, Singh said he focusses on campaigning at the ground level and keeps interacting with different communities that has helped him garner support from the locals. He says the number of Indians is Russia is slowly increasing, urging them to join politics.
Putin's India visit
Putin is set to visit India for two days from Thursday. During his visit, India and Russia are expected to sign multiple defence pacts and trade agreements. The Russian side has also offered the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft and the S-500 missile defence system to India.
Singh, in a recent interview, said India should procure the S-500s following the success of S-400s during Operation Sindoor. He also believes that Putin's India visit will further boost ties between New Delhi and Moscow.
"Russia has offered to elevate cooperation with China and India to a qualitatively new level. For the past 70-80 years, India and Russia have never had a conflict or war. They never had any area disputes... The relations have to be continued, and it is further deepening," he told ANI.
