Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee dies at 84

Former president Pranab Mukherjee has died after his health condition deteriorated. The former president was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and underwent a ‘life-saving’ surgery to remove a blood clot in brain. Mukherjee had tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the surgery. He had later developed a lung infection and had a renal dysfunction.Doctors had said last week that the 84-year-old leader was haemodynamically stable and was being treated for lung infection.

Pranab Mukherjee’s political journey started in West Bengal in the 1969 by-election in Midnapore when he was the election agent for V K Krishna Menon, who ran as an independent candidate. He caught the eye of Siddhartha Shankar Ray who recommended him to Indira Gandhi, who gave him a Rajya Sabha seat. Thus at the age of 35, Mukherjee entered the Rajya Sabha. Besides serving two terms as finance minister, Mukherjee also held the post of commerce minister in 1993 and is known for championing the cause of trade liberalisation.