Former President Pranab Mukherjee on August 31 passed away at the age of 84 due to the chronic illness.
The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Abhijeet Mukherjee on Twitter which read, "With a Heavy Heart , this is to inform you that my father Shri #PranabMukherjee has just passed away inspite of the best efforts of Doctors of RR Hospital & prayers ,duas & prarthanas from people throughout India!
I thank all of You."
PM Narendra Modi took to twitter to pay condolences to the demised soul. He wrote," 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."
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind also condoled over his death and wrote, " 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 & all citizens."
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Pranab Mukherjee served as India's President between 2012 and 2017. His career in politics spanned over five decades. As a Congress leader, Pranab Mukherjee held a wide array of top cabinet posts, including finance, defense, home, among others. Pranab Mukherjee was serving as Finance Minister in the UPA II when he was fielded as a candidate for presidentship. He had defeated PA Sangma with a wide margin to enter the President's House. However, after serving a five-year term as the President of India, he refused to contest the election again and stepped down due to health concerns.
Pranab Mukherjee hailed from West Bengal. He famously attended every Durga Puja at his home town Mirati in Birbhum district. For his distinguished service to the nation, he was first awarded India's second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and then honored with Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian award in 2019.