President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday condoled the untimely demise of Union Minister Gopinath Munde and said the country has lost a veteran leader who always worked for the common man.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the demise of his “friend” and cabinet colleague Gopinath Munde, whom he hailed as a “true mass leader.“
“My tributes to a dynamic leader whose premature demise leaves a void hard to fill,” Modi tweeted soon after >Munde’s death following a road accident here.
“Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colleague Gopinath Mundeji. His demise is a major loss for the nation & the government. Gopinath Mundeji was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights & tirelessly served people,” Mr. Modi said.
The party and government, he said, stands by the bereaved family members of the 64-year-old leader.
The President, expressing his shock, grief and sorrow over the death of Munde, said that his passing away is a huge loss for the people of Maharashtra and India.
“In his death, we have lost a veteran leader who always worked for the common man,” he said.
Munde, the Rural Development Minister and the OBC face of BJP in Maharashtra, died apparently of shock and cardiac arrest suffered during a road accident early on Tuesday.
Munde, who made his entry into the Union Cabinet for the first time after the Lok Sabha polls, was on his way to the airport when his car was hit by another vehicle.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde following a road accident in New Delhi.
In a letter to Munde’s wife, the former Prime Minister said, “I am deeply saddened to learn about the sudden passing away of Munde in the unfortunate road accident.”
“I send you and your family my deepest condolences in this hour of grief. Gursharan joins me in praying that you have the strength to bear the irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
A brother-in-law of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, Munde is survived by his wife and three daughters, one of whom is an MLA from Parli in Maharashtra’s Beed district.
Grassroot leader
Home Minister Rajnath Singh described Gopinath Munde as a “grassroot” leader known for his concern for the poor people and the farmers and expressed shock over his death.
“Deeply shocked to know of Shri Gopinath Munde’s demise. He was a grassroots leader and known for his concern for poor people and farmers,” tweeted Rajnath Singh, who is also the BJP president.
“Mundeji’s death is an irreparable loss to the BJP and he has left a big void in Mahrashtra’s political and social life,” he said.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar tweeted "Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Gopinath Mundeji, whose close association and guidance to BJP Goa will be missed by all".
