President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several leaders cutting across party lines have condoled the death of Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das.
Mr Das breathed his last in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar last evening after being fired at from close range at a programme in Brajarajnagar of Jhatsuguda district yesterday.
In her condolence message, the President expressed ‘shock’ over the death of Mr Das in what she described as a ‘dastardly act of violence’.
Prime Minister Mr Modi, while conveying his condolences to the bereaved family said that he was saddened by the ‘unfortunate demise’ of Mr Das.
Many more leaders including Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya have expressed deep grief over the demise of Mr Das.
While he will be cremated today with full state honour, the Odisha government has declared a three days state mourning ending tomorrow during which no official entertainment will be held.
Earlier, Mr Das was shot at point blank by a police ASI even as he was alighting from his car to attend a programme at Brajarajnagar in his own constituency at around noon yesterday.
Immediately after the incident, he was airlifted to a private hospital in the capital Bhubaneswar where he succumbed to a serious gunshot injury despite the best effort of the doctors.