Veteran Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, who passed away on Monday, was one of those personalities who had virtually no enemy in the cut-throat world of politics both within and outside the Congress.
He was hospitalised a couple of months ago after suffering a fall at his house while doing his regular exercise and had to be operated upon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the death of the veteran Congress leader saying: "Saddened by the death of Rajya Sabha MP Shri Oscar Fernandes ji. In this sad hour, my thoughts and prayers are with his family and well wishers. May his soul rest in peace."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too condoled the death of his former cabinet colleague and remembered him as a pleasant personality and people's man and one of the tallest leaders of the Congress.
Describing him as 'Ajaathashatru' (a person who has no enemy), former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said, "Let almighty bestow peace on his soul."
While Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hailed the service of Oscar Fernandes to the state and nation, former CM H D Kumaraswamy said Oscar Fernandes looked up to the Congress as a mother figure and loved all.
"It is a personal loss for me. He was a guide and mentor to many of us in the Congress party. He will be missed and fondly remembered for his contributions," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.
The Chief Ministers of Congress ruled States as well CMs of other parties also condoled the death of Congress leader.
Fernandes was a sitting member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka. He had been a five-time Lok Sabha MP and a four-time Rajya Sabha member. He had entered politics as a member of the Udupi Municipal Council and was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980.
Fernandes became the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in December 1984 and then the AICC general secretary in 1985. Thereafter, he went on to assume several key positions in the party and Government.