Leaders remember great parliamentarian
New Delhi: Leaders across party lines condoled the death of former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday, describing him as an outstanding parliamentarian who enriched Indian politics.
Chatterjee, 89, passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata on Monday morning following multiple organ failure.
Tributes poured in as news came in of the death of the 10-time Lok Sabha MP who had joined the CPI(M) in 1968. Chatterjee was speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
He was a veteran parliamentarian who had a "forceful presence in the House", President Ram Nath Kovind said.
"Sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House. A loss for public life in Bengal and India. My condolences to his family and innumerable well-wishers," he said on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Chatterjee was a stalwart of Indian politics.
"He made our parliamentary democracy richer and was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable," an "anguished" prime minister said, adding that his thoughts were with Chatterjee's family and supporters.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Chatterjee was an institution and greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines.
Conveying his condolences to Chatterjee's family and supporters, BJP chief Amit Shah said Chatterjee was an excellent parliamentarian. His long years as a member of the House enriched parliamentary traditions, he added.
Former president Pranab Mukherjee said Chatterjee was "an outstanding Parliamentarian & Constitutionalist". "He remained committed to the cause of people with a firm belief in pragmatic consensus. In his demise I have lost a personal friend & the Nation has lost a great son," he tweeted.
In a condolence message, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said, "In his death our country has lost a great leader who always stood for the cause of the poor and the downtrodden classes of society. He was a very good orator, an exceptional public servant, and an outstanding member of Parliament, especially in the role of speaker of the Lok Sabha, which made him eligible for the 'Outstanding Parliamentarian Award'."
"He was a remarkable human being, an eminent parliamentarian and a very clear headed speaker of the Lok Sabha. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," said former vice president M Hamid Ansari.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she "have learnt a lot from him. He was a big brother to me."
She further said Chatterjee's tenure as the Lok Sabha speaker was a guide for her and he established that the speaker's post was above politics by refusing to step down from his position.
Mahajan was referring to an episode of July 2008, when the CPI(M) withdrew support from the then Congress-led UPA government and the Left party had asked Chatterjee to step down from his position.
"Deeply mourn the passing away of Somnath da: our former Speaker of the Lok Sabha & 10 times-elected MP. Heartfelt condolences to his family... Somnath Chatterjee played an important role in defending the secular, democratic foundations of our Constitution," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury posted on Twitter.
"He (Chatterjee) is one of the brilliant leaders of the Communist movement though his father was a founder of Hindu Mahasabha.... He became a Marxist and rationalist throughout his life and he was one of the best speakers, impartial speakers," CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said.
According to veteran BJP leader LK Advani, Chatterjee "was a man of committed ideals and was an inspiration for upcoming parliamentarians".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed Chatterjee one of the "greatest parliamentarians" of contemporary times who will also be remembered as one of the greatest Lok Sabha Speakers India has ever had.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Chatterjee and she shared a very cordial relationship despite their ideological differences.
He was principled and scholarly, and played a significant role in India's parliament, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Union minister Arun Jaitley said he will be remembered for his contributions which enriched Indian politics and was an outstanding Parliamentarian.
According to former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, Chatterjee had through his life been a democrat, a liberal and a champion of enlarging the constituency for social democracy.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said Chatterjee was a dignified person who set high standards of conduct during his stint as the Speaker of Lok Sabha.
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress president Sachin Pilot condoled the demise of Chatterjee.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in his condolence message, said, "Somnath Chatterjee has enriched the glorious traditions of Indian Parliament through his contributions. He had always given priority to the interests of the poor, downtrodden and neglected sections of the society."
"Chatterjee strengthened parliamentary democracy in the country. His death is an irreparable loss to Indian politics," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
