The Hindu Business Line : Mahajan passes away

Mr Pramod Mahajan, BJP General Secretary and former Union Minister for Telecommunications, Information Technology and Parliamentary Affairs, succumbed to the bullet injuries he sustained on April 22. The 56-year-old `Generation Next' leader of the Opposition Party, whose battle for life at the Hinduja Hospital lasted 12 days after he was shot at point blank range by his brother Pravin Mahajan, died at 4.10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Mr Mahajan's end came two days after his condition began deteriorating on Monday as he developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. He was also on multiple organ support. The bullets that damaged his liver, lower chest, abdomen and pancreas could not be removed.

Mr Mahajan's body will be cremated at the Shivaji Park crematorium here by 12 noon on Thursday.

His body was taken to GT hospital for post-mortem, before being brought to the BJP headquarters in South Mumbai late in the evening for the public to pay their last respects to the charismatic leader.

Earlier, reports about his sinking condition had drawn a steady stream of political leaders, as also representatives from the corporate world to the hospital right through the day.

Hundreds of party workers and a strong contingent of mediapersons who had been keeping vigil at Hinduja Hospital for the past 12 days dispersed once the body was taken away for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Praveen Mahajan was today remanded to judicial custody till May 17 by a local court. This is for the first time that the younger Mahajan has been remanded to judicial custody since his arrest on April 22, having been remanded to police custody twice.

The high-profile BJP leader was counted to be most prominent of the new generation party leaders and a strong Prime Minister candidate if BJP were to return to power. Mr Mahajan, who held a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, began his career as a Sub-Editor with pro-RSS Marathi daily Tarun Bharat.

In a message, Mr David C. Mulford, US Ambassador to India, conveyed condolences to Mr Mahajan's family on behalf of the American people and his government: "Mr Mahajan embodied the spirit and vibrancy of young India. He was a forward-looking leader who had the vision and determination to guide India towards a bright and prosperous future."

Our Delhi Bureau reports:

The President of FICCI, Mr Saroj K. Poddar, said Mr Mahajan's commitment to liberalisation was a great strength for industry and his contribution in the field of telecommunications and IT would always be remembered. According to the CII President, Mr R. Seshasayee, Mr Mahajan was "a decisive, forward-looking liberal who had a quick grasp of economic issues." The Assocham President, Mr Anil K. Agarwal, said BJP had lost a promising and a bright leader.

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Mahajan passes away

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