Mumbai (Web Desk): Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for Covid-19 this month, died on Monday. He was 84.
Earlier in the day, New Delhi's Army Hospital (Research And Referral) said Mukherjee had gone into a septic shock after coming down with a lung infection. His medical condition had declined since Sunday, it added.
“India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation. A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society,” Indiam PM Narendra Modi said in a tweet.
India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation. A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society. pic.twitter.com/gz6rwQbxi6
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2020
The former college teacher and journalist lacked a grassroots political base, but held more than a dozen federal portfolios between 1973 and 2012, ranging from commerce and finance to defence and foreign affairs.
