Former president of India 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.
The mortal remains of the former president will be kept at his official residence 10, Rajaji Marg, New Delhi around 9 am for dignitaries to pay tribute.
An official statement said that due to social distancing norms and other Covid-19 related protocols, the mortal remains will “proceed in hearse van instead of normal gun carriage”. 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, 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. A health bulletin this morning said he was in a deep coma and on ventilator support.
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 Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation,” Modi tweeted.
Known as a consensus builder, the West Bengal born Mukherjee spent much of his five decades in public life as a Congress worker but also inspired trust among leaders across political divides. Modi and Mukherjee came from opposing ideologies but developed a close working relationship.
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.
Mukherjee — who made it a point to remain in touch with his roots and was often seen leading Durga Puja prayers in his village, even in his president years — was the man who took on all political jobs with ease.
When he became president in 2012, Mukherjee headed 24 of 39 GOMs (groups of ministers). Between 2004-2012, he chaired 95 GOMs. While most of Mukherjee’s political life was fairly non-controversial, his visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur in June 1988, a year after he demitted office, generated huge controversy.
His Bharat Ratna in 2019 also became the centre of debate. As president, he will be remembered for the tough stance he took on mercy petitions, rejecting 30 of the 34 mercy pleas presented to him.
