The Hindu : Front Page : Chandra Shekhar dead

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Monday, Jul 09, 2007
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Chandra Shekhar dead

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The former Prime Minister and president of the Samajwadi Janata Party, Chandra Shekhar (80), died here on Sunday after a prolonged battle with cancer. He is survived by two sons.

Mr. Chandra Sekhar breathed his last at 8.45 a.m. at the Apollo Hospital, where he was admitted in May. He was suffering from multiple myloma, a blood disorder.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi; National Democratic Alliance chairman and the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee; Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee; the former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh; Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers visited the residence of Mr. Chandra Shekhar to pay their homage.

‘Secular nationalist’

Describing Mr. Chandra Shekhar a “truly secular nationalist and a man of the people,” the Union Cabinet, at a special meeting chaired by Dr. Singh, adopted a resolution expressing profound sorrow at his death. The Union Government declared a state mourning for seven days. On Monday, all Government establishments will remain closed after 1 p.m. to enable people attend the State funeral, which would be held at 4 p.m.

The cremation will take place on the banks of the Yamuna, near the samadhis of the former Presidents, Zail Singh, S.D. Sharma and K.R. Narayanan.

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