India’s political establishment, irrespective of party lines on Tuesday paid their last respects to Senior Congress leader, Bharat Ratna recipient and former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
Mukherjee, 84, died on Monday afternoon at the Army Hospital Research and Referral in New Delhi. He was hospitalized on August 10 after he suffered a fall at his residence in Delhi and underwent a surgery to remove a clot from his brain. The former president had also tested positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and defence minister Rajnath Singh were among those from the Centre who paid their final homage to Mukherjee at his Rajaji Marg residence in the national capital.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and members of the Congress- the party from where Mukherjee began his political journey which spanned up to five decades- were also seen paying their last respects to the senior leader.
{{/usCountry}}Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and members of the Congress- the party from where Mukherjee began his political journey which spanned up to five decades- were also seen paying their last respects to the senior leader.
{{/usCountry}}Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal too was among the leaders who paid their final tribute to Mukherjee before he was cremated.
On Monday, Prime Minister Modi, union home minister Amit Shah along with several opposition leaders took to social media to condole the death of the seasoned statesman, who served the country with utmost dedication and was loved and admired by all political fronts of the country.
Prime Minister Modi described him as a scholar par excellence adding that he has left an indelible mark on the nation’s development trajectory, while home minister Shah regarded his career as a matter of pride for India.
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Congress president Sonia Gandhi recalled Mukherjee’s long association with the Congress and said the void left behind by his demise would be difficult to fill. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee described his demise as the end of an era.
The government on Monday announced a week-long mourning during which the national flag will fly at half-mast at all buildings throughout the country.