Matua matriarch Binapani Devi dead

Kolkata: Binapani Devi, Matua community matriarch, who is fondly known as 'Boroma', died of multi-organ failure on Tuesday evening at SSKM Hospital. She was 102.

She passed away at around 8.52 pm.

"I am deeply pained at passing away of Matua matriarch Boro Ma Binapani Thakur. My condolences to her family & my brothers & sisters of Matua community at this moment of grief. It was a great opportunity for me to meet Boro Ma last November on the centenary of her birthday. After overseeing arrangements I just left the hospital. 6 senior ministers are here to take care of the last rites. She will be accorded state-funeral with gun salute on Wednesday. We are proud to have conferred Banga Bibhusan on Boro Ma. May her soul rest in peace," chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

The health condition of Binapani Devi deteriorated a few days ago and she had to be shifted to SSKM from Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital (JNMH) in Kalyani on Sunday evening. The Chief Minister went to SSKM on Tuesday evening as her condition deteriorated.

'Boroma' had been suffering from various age-related ailments and an acute lung infection. Earlier on Tuesday, it was being told that she was not responding to the drugs which became a major cause of concern for the doctors.

All efforts went in vain as she was declared dead at around 8.52 pm.

Referring to the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Thakurnagar, the Chief Minister said: "some people" are trying to politicise the matter.