NEW DELHI: Former president Pranab Mukherjee, statesman, scholar and one of India’s most respected leaders across the political spectrum, died on Monday evening following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments. He was 84.
Mukherjee, who was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital on August 10 and was operated for a removal of a clot in the brain the same day, is survived by two sons and a daughter.
The long-time Congress leader and seven-time parliamentarian, known for his encyclopaedic memory and insights into varied issues, had tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of his admission and was being treated for a lung infection.
He suffered a septic shock on Sunday and died of a cardiac arrest at 4.30 pm, the hospital said. The funeral will be held at 2 pm on Tuesday at the Lodhi Road crematorium, his family said.
The government announced seven-day state mourning from August 31 to September 6. The national flag will fly at half-mast on all buildings throughout India, where it is flown regularly, and there will be no official entertainment, the Home Ministry said in a statement.
Mukherjee’s son Abhijit was the first to break the news of the death of the veteran politician, the Congress’ troubleshooter through the decades who became India’s youngest Finance minister when he was just 47 and also held the portfolios of External Affairs and Defence in the years that followed.
As condolences poured in for India’s 13th president, who served as the country’s first citizen from 2012 to 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind described Mukherjee’s demise as the passing of an era.
Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a scholar par excellence and a towering statesman who was admired across the political spectrum.
“India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation,” Modi tweeted.
In her condolence letter to Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said his life over the past five decades mirrored 50 years of India’s history. “He brought distinction to every post he held. He established a genuine rapport with colleagues across the political spectrum, and he served our country with the utmost dedication,” Gandhi said.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mukherjee’s colleague in the Congress said he had learnt a lot from him and depended on him a great deal for his wisdom, vast knowledge and experience of public affairs.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he joined the country in paying homage to the former president. (PTI)
