Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84

Guwahati: Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian politician who served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 2017, passed away at a New Delhi hospital today. He was 84.

Earlier, Mukherjee had announced that he had been infected with the coronavirus. "On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19", he wrote in a tweet.

Mukherjee was operated upon for a brain clot on August 10. Subsequently, his condition turned later critical and he was put on life support. "There is a decline in the medical condition of Hon'ble Shri Pranab Mukherjee since yesterday. He is in septic shock due to his lung infection and is being managed by team of specialists. He continues to be in deep coma and on ventilator support

Meanwhile, leaders cutting across the party lines have paid their respects to the former president. Mukherjee, one of the most highly respected politicians in the country, received the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honor, in 2019.

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