Former President Pranab Mukherjee Cremated With Military Honours

New Delhi: Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away on Monday at the age of 84, was laid to rest with full military honours in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.

Mukherjee’s son Abhijit performed the last rites at the Lodhi Road electric crematorium.

An Army contingent gave a guard of honour and a gun salute to the former president. Only close family members were allowed to enter the crematorium unlike previous cremation ceremonies of such dignitaries, and those handling the mortal remains of Mukherjee wore PPE kits.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat were among those who joined the rest of the nation in bidding adieu to the ‘People’s President’.

Born on December 11, 1935, Mukherjee acquired a Master’s degree in History and Political Science as well as a degree in Law from the University of Kolkata. Mukherjee then embarked on his professional life as a college teacher and journalist.

Mukherjee embarked upon full-fledged public life following his election to the Rajya Sabha in 1969. He served as Deputy Minister, Industry; Shipping and Transport, Steel and Industry and Minister of State for Finance during 1973-75. He assumed office as the Finance Minister of India for the first time in 1982 and was Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1985. He became Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 1991 to 1996; concurrently Minister for Commerce from 1993 to 1995 and Minister of External Affairs from 1995 to 1996; Minister of Defence from 2004 to 2006. He again served as the Minister of External Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2012. He was Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2012.

Mukherjee assumed office as the 13th President of India on July 25, 2012 and served his full five-year term till 2017.