Former India president Pranab Mukherjee died in Delhi’s Army hospital on
Monday. The 84-year-old, whose political career spanned over five decades, was admitted in the hospital on August 10 for a medical procedure.
After undergoing a surgery to remove a brain clot, Mukherjee was put on a ventilator. He was stable after the surgery for days, but on Monday,
his condition deteriorated.

His son, Abhijit Mukherjee, took to Twitter to confirm the news of
Mukherjee’s death.

Also read: Pranab Mukherjee, Indira Gandhi loyalist and Congress’s man for all seasons

As soon as the news came out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that
he was a “scholar par excellence”.

“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.”

Also read: Pranab Mukherjee: Some little known facts about the Former India president

President of India, Ramnath Kovind, also expressed condolences.

“Sad to hear that former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee is no more. His
demise is passing of an era. A colossus in public life, he served Mother India
with the spirit of a sage. The nation mourns losing one of its worthiest sons.
Condolences to his family, friends & all citizens,” President Kovind
tweeted.

Also read: Pranab Mukherjee brought the President closer to the masses during his stint

Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, too, lauded Mukherjee’s tremendous
knowledge of India’s history.

“Deeply anguished by the demise of former president of India, Shri Pranab
Mukherjee ji. He was widely respected by the people across all sections of
society. His demise is a personal loss. He had tremendous knowledge of India’s
history, diplomacy, public policy and also defence,” tweeted Rajnath.

Also read: Pranab Mukherjee, former President, statesman, politician for 5 decades, dies at 84

Rajnath further tweeted: “Pranabda epitomised simplicity, honesty and
strength of character. He served our country with diligence and dedication. His
contribution to public life was invaluable. My deepest condolences to his
bereaved family. Om Shanti!”

Mukherjee, during UPA I and UPA II, played a key role in running the
government and headed close to 50 GoMs before heading to the Rashtrapati Bhavan
in 2012.

Also read: Pranab Mukherjee: the president who could never be prime minister

The recognition of Mukherjee’s statesmanship and cross-party appeal came
when the BJP-led NDA government decided to confer the highest civilian award
Bharat Ratna on him in 2019.