One of the tallest Left leaders and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee breathed his last on Monday morning at a Kolkata Hospital.
The 89-year-old was earlier admitted to the Bellevue Clinic in the city on June 25 after suffering a haemorrhagic stroke. According to reports, he had suffered a heart attack on August 7 and was put on ventilator support and doctors said his condition was critical.
He underwent treatment for 40 days and was discharged for three days after his health showed signs of improvement. However, he was re-admitted after his condition deteriorated last Tuesday, the officer said.
Chatterjee, regarded as an outstanding parliamentarian, was a 10-time Lok Sabha MP and former central committee member of the CPI(M), and served as the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2004 to 2009.
He was given the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1996 for his overall contribution to Parliament.
Condolence messages have been coming in from all political quarters following his death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Former MP and Speaker Shri Somnath 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. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters."
Former MP and Speaker Shri Somnath 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. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 13, 2018
AICC President Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet,”I mourn the passing away of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, 10 term MP and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was an institution. Greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines. My condolences to his family at this time of grief.”
I mourn the passing away of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, 10 term MP and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was an institution. Greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines. My condolences to his family at this time of grief. #SomnathChatterjee
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 13, 2018
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Extremely sad news about Somnath Chatterjee ji. One of the greatest parliamentarians of contemporary times, he will always be missed by this country. He will be remembered among the greatest Lok Sabha Speakers India ever had.”
Extremely sad news about Somnath Chatterjee ji. One of the greatest parliamentarians of contemporary times he will always be missed by this country. He will be remembered among the greatest Lok Sabha Speakers India ever had. https://t.co/dpnsE9ME1a
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 13, 2018
Somnath Chatterjee was expelled from the Communist Party of India-Marxist on July 23, 2008, "for seriously compromising the position of the party”, as he refused to resign as the Speaker after the CPI (M) withdrew support to the UPA government over the India-US civil nuclear deal.
In 1984, he was humbled by present West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, then a novice, at Jadavpur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
Somnath Chatterjee was practising law at the Calcutta High Court before he entered active politics.