Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday condoled the death of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan. Mahajan died at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai after battling for life for 12 days after he being shot by his younger brother.
The United States on Wednesday condoled the death of Mahajan and described him as a "forward-looking leader who embodied the vibrancy of young India."
"On behalf of the American people and government, I convey my condolences to the family of Pramod Mahajan, following his tragic and untimely death," US Ambassador David Mulford said in a statement.
President of India A P J Abdul Kalam has condoled the untimely death of Pramod Mahajan. In a condolence message addressed to Rekha Mahajan, wife of Pramod Mahajan, Kalam recalled his close assocation with the departed leader.
"I had closely known Shri Mahajan and worked with him when he was a Union Minister. I will always remember my personal interactions and close association with him. I feel a personal sense of loss in his passing away.
"He was a young leader well known for his 'can do it' approach to missions. He served with distinction in various important assignments in public life as well as in Government. The nation has lost a young political leader with potential". The President said in his message.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed deep anguish over the death of Mahajan. She expressed her heartfelt condolences to the family of the departed leader.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid glowing tributes to Pramod Mahajan. Vajpayee garlanded the potrait of Mahajan with a garland of roses and offered rose petals as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
"We have heard of lightning striking without clouds. In the death of Pramod Mahajan we lost an outstanding politician who was snatched from us by the cruel hands of death even before his personality could blossom. He was an able spokesman who had made a place for himself in the party," he said.
He praised Mahajan for organisation abilities and the manner in which he carried with him not only his party office bearers and workers but also his opponents.
"His dedication and diligence endeared him to one and all. He was not just useful to the party but also to the government for the developmental work. May the God give his family to overcome this hour of personal loss," he said.
"The untimely demise of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan is a great loss to the party and Nation," the party's senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday.
"Mahajan was a promising, dynamic and charismatic leader of the party and the vacuum created by him is difficult to fill," Naidu told PTI over phone en route to Mumbai. "I am shocked. It's a great loss not just for BJP but for the country as a whole as you will not have a leader of his dynamism, energy and promise," senior party leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said.
"It is a great loss for the country. It is a big heartbreak," he said. Describing Mahajan as an "elder brother", BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said he was an inspiration to the young generation of BJP leaders. "It is a big blow to all of us. He was more of an elder brother to the whole generation of young leaders like me," Prasad said.
Observing that Pramod was seen as "future of the party", BJP senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi said, "His life was snatched away without fulfilment."
He also condoled the family for the great loss. Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh said Pramod was his companion for many decades and he was benefited with him many times. "He was a huge stalwart and champion of politics and a productive leader," Singh said.
Industry chambers condoled the death of Mahajan, saying the country has lost a promising and bright leader. "Mahajan was a decisive, forward-looking liberalizer who had a quick grasp of economic issues. In his passing away, the country has lost a youthful leader of great promise," CII President R Seshasayee said in a statement.
Seshasayee also recalled the last public appearance of Mahajan at CII National Conference in the capital on April 19. Assocham President Anil Agarwal said Mahajan was one of the visionaries under whose leadership the country witnessed a telecom and IT services boom.
"With his death, a vacuum has been created in the Indian polity which will be difficult to be filled," Agarwal said. FICCI president Saroj Poddar said, "this is a sad and untimely demise of one of the most credible political leaders in the country." Mahajan headed the liberalisation process in important ministries and his demise is a national loss, he added.
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed shock over the death of Mahajan and described it as a great loss to BJP and Indian politics. Mukherjee said, ''I knew him for many years. He was a dynamic leader. It is a great loss to BJP and Indian politics."
I convey my deep condolences to his followers and his family. May his soul rest in peace!'. Mourning his death, CPI leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta said Mahajan was a "skilful debater, fine personality and was committed to the cause he believed to be right."
In a message, Gurudas Dasgupta said that he was associated with Mahajan closely in the beginning of his parliamentary career. ''We were both together in the Rajya Sabha for a long time. Despite serious ideological differences we were close to each other."
His death was tragic, untimely and bound to cause deep sorrow in the minds of all those who knew him, the CPI leader said.
Rameshwar Prasad Singh, MLA fron Nokha, was with Pramod Mahajan during a public meeting on October 6, 2006 when a man came and opened fire injuring Ravi Shankar Prasad Singh. If the countrymade revolver had not got stuck Pramod too would have become a victim. Though he had a close shave himself but that day Rameshwar saw another side of his leader.
"The moment our partymen took care of the attacker, Pramod realised that Ravi needs immediate medical attention. He asked me where could we find a doctor who could take out the bullets from Ravi' arms and bandage them. I told him it was a five minute chopper flight.
"We flew along with the road and I saw him jumping out of the helicopter and taking Ravi Shankar Prasad to the doctor. He stood outside the clinic and managed the crowd. This was a new side of Pramod Mahajan," Rameshwar recalled in an exclusive conversation with rediff.com.
After Ravi Shankar was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences Mahajan was back in Nokha to address a series of public meetings and remind the electorate how a senior BJP leader had been attacked.
"His speech became so popular that almost all the public meetings had his speech as the main item. But it is ironic that the attack should have come from within the house," he said.
(With Agency Inputs)
