New Delhi, Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee passes away at the age of 89 years in a Kolkata hospital.He was in hospital and put on ventilator support after he suffered a heart attack. Eighty-nine-year-old Chatterjee, who was suffering from a kidney-related ailment, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. Last month, the former speaker had suffered a haemorrhagic stroke. He was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
Here are the LIVE updates:
-Somnath Da (Chatterjee) was a big brother to me. Our ideology was different but still, from the time I entered Parliament in ’89, I used to see how he used to raise issues while following every rule. His tenure as a speaker was a guidance for me: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
-Rahul Gandhi also mourns Chatterjee : I mourn the passing away of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, 10 term MP and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was an institution. Greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines. My condolences to his family at this time of grief.
– Kapil Sibal condoles the death of Somnath Chatterjee:
A great parliamentarian , a legal stalwart , a gentleman committed to liberal values Somnath Chatterjee has left us . We will remember for his qualities of head and heart. Those like him are rare to find. May his soul rest in peace.
– President Ramnath Kovind also pays his respect to the statesman after his sad demise.
-PM Narendra Modi pays his respects following the demise of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
On Twitter, the PM writes, “Former MP and Speaker Shri Somnath Chatterjee was a stalwart of Indian politics. He made our Parliamentary democracy richer and was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters.
A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Chatterjee was a central committee member of the CPI-M, which he had joined in 1968.
There was a big turn in his illustrious career when this veteran leader was expelled from the CPI-M in 2008 for refusing to resign as the Speaker after his party withdrew support to the UPA-I government.
Condolences start pouring in from all quarters.
