Tributes poured in for Bharat Ratna and former President Pranab Mukherjee after the news of his demise came in. Leaders across the political spectrum, celebrities and countless others paid their tribute to the leader on twitter.
Pranab Mukherjee made Rashtrapati Bhavan accessible to common citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he paid his tribute to the former President -- the “scholar par excellence and a towering statesman”.
“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,” tweeted PM?Modi sharing two photos with the former President. Modi offered condolences to the late Congress veteran’s family, friends, admirers and supporters across India and said he will always cherish his interactions with Mukherjee.
“I was new to Delhi in 2014. From Day 1, I was blessed to have the guidance, support and blessings of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I will always cherish my interactions with him. Condolences to his family, friends, admirers and supporters across India. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.
Remembering the former Congress leader, President Ram Nath Kovind said the Bharat Ratna awardee combined tradition and modernity. ‘“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 and all citizens”., President Kovind tweeted.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu condoled the death, saying the country has lost a statesman. “Deeply saddened by the passing away of former President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The country has lost an elder statesman in his death. He rose from humble beginnings to occupy the country’s highest constitutional position through hard work, discipline and dedication,” Naidu said.
Congress’ interim chief Sonia Gandhi wrote to Sharmistha Mukherjee on the passing away of her father Pranab Mukherjee, saying it was “hard to imagine how we can do without his wisdom, experience, sage advice and deep understanding on so many subjects”.
“His life over the past 50 years mirrored 50 years of the history of India , for he played a crucial role both in shaping the course of events as well as actively participating in them whether as a cabinet minister, parliamentarian or president of India. I personally have so many warm memories of my working with him. Pranabda had now been released from his suffering. May his soul rest in peace,” she said.
Home Minister Amit Shah condoled the death , saying that his demise has left a huge void in the Indian polity. “Deeply anguished on the passing away of former President of India, Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji. He was a vastly experienced leader who served the nation with utmost devotion. Pranab da’s distinguished career is a matter of great pride for the entire country,” the Home Minister tweeted.
Remembering Mukherjee, veteran BJP leader LK Advani said :”To me personally, he was more than a colleague and we have shared valuable moments both inside and outside our public lives, which extended to our families. Memories of various shared lunches will always be special in my heart”.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also expressed his grief at the passing of Pranab Mukherjee. Gandhi said in a tweet, “I join the country in paying homage to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over Mukherjee’s demise. In a tweet, Singh said, “His demise is a personal loss. He had tremendous knowledge of India’s history, diplomacy, public policy and also defence.” Expressing grief, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “I am deeply saddened by the death of former President of India, Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee. His death is a great loss for the country. Pranab da was a rich and good friend of the great personality.” He always gave priority to the country, rising above party politics. In this hour of grief, I express my deepest condolences to his family members. God bless his departed soul, he added in his tweet.
Remembering Mukherjee, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Pranab Mukherjee kept national interest supreme, didn’t believe in political untouchability.
The Congress remembered Mukherjee for his “integrity and compassion”. “We are deeply pained by the passing of Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India and one of the tallest leaders of the Congress,” the party said in a tweet. “Shri Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for his integrity & compassion. Our prayers are with his family, followers and the nation.” In a tribute to her father, Sharmistha Mukherjee has posted an emotional tweet, quoting his favourite poet Rabindranath Tagore. She said, “Baba...I feel blessed to have been born as your daughter”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamamata Banerjee expressed deep sorrow over the death of former president and said with his demise “an era has come to an end”. “It is with deep sorrow I write this. Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee has left us. An era has ended. For decades he was a father figure. From my first win as MP, to being my senior Cabinet colleague, to his becoming President while I was CM,” Banerjee said in a statement released from the state secretariat.
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik said Mukherjee will always be remembered for his capability to bring about a consensus on national issues. “Deeply saddened to know about the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee,” he said in a tweet. “Pranab Da was a prolific reader, powerful orator, scholar & had an unparalleled experience in governance. He will always be remembered for his exceptional ability to forge consensus on national issues.”
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and a host of prominent leaders of the state mourned the death of former president. Expressing his grief over Mukherjee’s death, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his condolence message called the former president “Ajatshatru of politics” who was equally respected by both ruling and opposition.
Senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor, Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Biplab Kumar Deb (Tripura), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), N Biren Singh (Manipur), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Manohar Lal (Haryana), Vijay Rupani (Gujarat) and Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam) also expressed condolences.
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party patron Ram Vilas Paswan paid fond tributes to former president remembering him as a stalwart with deep grasp of Indian polity who guided politicians across the ideological spectrum.
Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Arjun Munda, Mansukh Mandaviya, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Nirmala Sitharaman, Pralhad Joshi, Sadananda Gowda, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Ashwini Choubey, Giriraj Singh, Jitendra Singh, Smriti Irani, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, Thawarchand Gehlot, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also expressed their shock at and said India lost a great leader with Mukherjee’s demise.
Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda remembered his long association with Mukherjee.