New Delhi, Aug 14: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi today condoled the demise of Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh describing him as a trusted colleague and an able administrator.
“Mr Deshmukh was a trusted colleague and an able administrator who worked at panchayat, state and central levels with admirable dedication,” Singh said in his message. Deshmukh, Minister without portfolio, was admitted in a hospital for treatment of a liver ailment in Chennai where he passed away this afternoon.
Earlier, he was Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. He was given additional charge of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) after resignation of Virbhadra Singh two months back.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi led her party in expressing condolences over the death of Deshmukh. “It is profound sense of grief that we announce the tragic demise of Deshmukh. Congress President expresses her condolences to the family members.
“His untimely death is a loss for all of us. He was one of the leaders with contact among the masses and a huge fan following,” Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters.
