'Best PM India Never Had', Pranab Mukherjee, former President passes away

The year 2020 continues to bring in more disastrous news as former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee passes away on Monday (August 31). Since August 10 he was admitted at an Army hospital in New Delhi Cantonment, where he had undergone brain surgery.

He had tested positive for COVID-19 and had been on a ventilator since surgery to remove a brain clot earlier this month. Mr. Mukherjee, "Citizen Mukherjee" on his Twitter handle, had announced his coronavirus positive status in his last tweet.
"With a Heavy Heart, this is to inform you that my father Shri #PranabMukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of Doctors of RR Hospital & prayers, duas & prarthanas from people throughout India! I thank all of You," his son Abhijit Mukherjee tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to his official Twitter handle and wrote, "India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation. A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society."
"With great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I join the country in paying homage to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends," former Congress President Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

He was a minister in almost every Congress government since Indira Gandhi helped him get elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1969. Indira Gandhi picked Manmohan Singh before refusing the top job for Prime Minister in 2004 when Pranab Mukherjee was widely expected to be Sonia Gandhi's choice.
Mukherjee became India's youngest finance minister in 1982 at the age of 47. From 2004 he went on to head three crucial ministries — external affairs, defence and finance — and became the first occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to have this distinction. The 84-year-old served as India's 13th President from 2012-2017.