Politics

PM Modi, President Kovind pays tribute to Somnath Chatterjee

New Delhi | President Ramanath Kovind along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed their condolence towards the demise of former LokSabha speaker and CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee.

10-time Member of Lok Sabha, Chatterjee at the age of 89 passed away in a private hospital in Kolkata on Monday morning. He was suffering from the kidney ailment and was on a ventilator after he suffered a heart attack.

Taking on Twitter President Kovind wrote, “Sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House. A loss for public life in Bengal and India. My condolences to his family and innumerable well-wishers.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wrote about the sad demise of veteran CPI(M) leader. He wrote,”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.”


Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressing his condolence wrote, 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. ”

Former President and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee who hail from the same state as Chatterjee also shared his views on the death of Chatterjee.” My deepest condolences on the demise of Shri Somnath Chatterjee. An outstanding Parliamentarian & Constitutionalist, he remained committed to the cause of people with a firm belief in pragmatic consensus. In his demise I have lost a personal friend &the Nation has lost a great son.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is the only politician to defeat Somnath Chatterjee in the Parliamentary election of 1984 wrote,”Saddened at the passing away of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath (Da) Chatterjee. My condolences to his family and admirers. This is a great loss for us all.”

Somnath Chatterjee was the speaker of Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009 during the UPA-1 government. A lawyer by profession and 10time Member of Lok Sabha, Chatterjee was expelled from his party after he refused to resign from the post of speaker in 2008 when CPI(M) withdrew its support from the UPA1 government during the Indo-American Nuclear deal. He also won the outstanding Parliamentarian award in the year 1996.

Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.

Related posts