MINISTER RAM VILAS PASWAN DIES (!).
Bureau,Odishabarta
DELHI: Eminent politician Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet and the founder of the Lok Janshakti Party died on Thursday days after heart surgery at a Delhi hospital where he was recuperating from heart surgery.
The 74-year old political giant was undergoing treatment at the hospital, and had to undergo surgery o Saturday “due to the bad health condition of Paswan had suddenly emerged.
Home ministry officials said state funeral will be accorded to Ram Vilas Paswan and the national flag will fly at half-mast in Delhi and state capitals on Friday as mark of respect. Cremation will take place in Patna on Saturday.
Twitter was flooded with tributes for the departed leader. Among the first to tweet was President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prime Minister,Narendra Modi’s tweet post read “I am saddened beyond words There is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji’s demise is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity,”.
Paswan has been a minister in almost all Central governments formed since 1989 and served six Prime ministers, starting with the cabinet of VP Singh. In PM Modi’s cabinet, he was in charge of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution portfolios. Ahead of the 2004 elections, Sonia Gandhi, with her famous “walk next-door”, got him as an UPA ally.
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