NEW DELHI: Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (84) passed away on Monday. His condition declined on Monday morning and suffered a septic shock due to his lung infection, the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital said.
Starting off as a protégé of Indira Gandhi, , who stood beside her during the Emergency, Mukherjee came to be known as a crisis manager who commanded the respect of all and had friends across the aisle.
The once Congress stalwart wore many hats over the last five decades in public life and 37 years in Parliament. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna last year. He had come close to becoming the Prime Minister in 2012. In his own words, he got a sense he could replace Manmohan Singh, who could be sent to Rashtrapati Bhawan as President.
Mukherjee worked under three Prime Ministers – Indira Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh. He is the only finance minister to have presented budgets both before the 1991 reforms in the licence-permit raj regime as well after the 1991 economic reforms.
He took bold decisions after the global economic crisis of 2008 which helped shield the Indian economy. As commerce minister in 1993, he championed the cause of trade liberalisation.