that Sardar's hands are full of blood in conflict, Swarn Singh got up and showed his clean, spotless hands." He was familiar with and was a proficient speaker of several languages. He assisted Jawaharlal Nehru in his talks with the Chinese leader Chou-En-Lai, on the Indo-China border question in 1960. He was in the Indian delegation during the six rounds of talks with Pakistan in 1962–63. He remained a part of successive governments until he resigned in November 1975. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1972. Cabinet positions To this date he is the longest-serving union cabinet minister in India. Babu Jajgivan Ram holds the record for maximum duration as cabinet minister i.e. around 30 years, but the record for consistent and uninterrupted membership of the cabinet in continuation is held by Mr. Swaran Singh. He is best known for his role as India's external affairs minister. He was also president of the National Congress in 1969, and 1978. External Affairs Minister He visited the USSR in July 1966 along with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On 9 August 1971, he signed "The Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation between the USSR and the Republic of India" which provided for closer contacts between the two countries in economic, political cultural and other fields. The treaty was also a defense pact under with both countries were obliged to come to each other's assistance in the event go a conflict with a third country. This treaty was binding for 20 years and was co signed by Andrei Gromyko He led the Indian delegation to the UN general assembly in 1971 to explain India's position in the ongoing war with Pakistan. George H. W. Bush, who at the time was the US Ambassador to the UN and led the US delegation at the UN security council demanded an unconditional cease fire by India to which Swaran Singh responded, "this one sided and partisan attitude of the distinguished representative of the United States has shocked and surprised us. The US is entitled to its own opinions and interpretations, so are we. But facts are facts and must be stated. Right from the beginning of this unfortunate situation that has arisen in the subcontinent, India had been asking for a political settlement acceptable to elected and acknowledged representatives of the people of Bangladesh." On 16 December 1971, East Pakistan