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6 years ago
NEW DELHI:

Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had been battling cancer for more than a year, has died at his home in Panaji at the age of 63. The former Defence Minister had been in and out of hospital in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York since February last year. Earlier today, his office tweeted that Mr Parrikar was is "extremely critical". The three-time chief minister had said in January that he "will serve Goa till my last breath." Mr Parrikar was the Defence Minister in 2016 when India conducted a surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control days after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri. Mr Parrikar, in recent months, had made public appearances with a tube in his nose, looking frail. Mr Parrikar headed a coalition government, which is supported by the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), and three Independent lawmakers in Goa. His death leaves the state in a crisis, as the Congress has written to the Goa Governor to dismiss the "minority" government, and to invite them to form the government.

Here are the updates of this big story:

All official programmes of the BJP scheduled for tomorrow, including the Central Election Committee meeting, have been cancelled following the death of Former Defence Minister and Goa CM Manohar Parrikar.
Seven days of State Mourning will be observed throughout Goa from March 18 to 24 after the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Goa tomorrow for Manohar Parrikar's last rites ceremony.

All schools and educational institutes in Goa will be shut tomorrow as chief minister Manohar Parrikar has died.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Manohar Parrikar fought cancer "like a brave soldier". "He had a vision for Goa and the country," Mr Javadekar paid his tribute to Mr Parrikar.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Twitter said that India lost a beloved leader and the BJP lost an "exemplary" member following the death of Manohar Parrikar.

The Centre has announced national mourning tomorrow, that is March 18, following the death of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Mr Parrikar will be accorded state funeral, news agency ANI said. The National Flag will fly at half-mast in Delhi and capitals of states and Union Territories.
Union Minister Sushma Swaraj today paid her tribute to Manohar Parrikar who died today evening after battling cancer. "He was like a brother and so his death is a personal loss for me," she tweeted expressing her grief after Mr Parrikar's death.

Images from outside the home of late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that Manohar Parrikar was the "builder of modern Goa". Expressing his grief after the death of Mr Parrikar, PM Modi said, "Thanks to his affable personality and accessible nature, he remained the preferred leader of the state for years." PM Modi also said that Mr Parrikar's policies have ensured that Goa scaled "remarkable heights of progress". "India will be eternally grateful to Shri Manohar Parrikar for his tenure as our Defence Minister. When he was RM, India witnessed a series of decisions that enhanced India's security capacities, boosted indigenous defence production and bettered the lives of ex-servicemen," PM Modi said on Twitter.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar expressed his grief after the death of Manohar Parrikar:

Goa opposition leader Pratapsinghe Rane talks to NDTV after the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar: We had quite friendly and cordial relations. He was a statesman. He worked for the state. He was very much at home in Goa.
NDTV's Saurabh Gupta, who is reporting from Panaji, said that there is no chaos outside the home of Manohar Parrikar, who has died. People outside the home of the late Goa chief minister are quietly present there to mourn Mr Parrikar's death.
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and former BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha also paid his tribute to Manohar Parrikar who died today aged 63:

Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda expressed his grief after the death of Manohar Parrikar:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted after the death of Manohar Parrikar:

Abhishek Singhvi, national spokesperson of Congress, tweeted:

Calling Manohar Parrikar a "true patriot", BJP President Amit Shah tweeted:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted her grief after the death of former defence minister and Goa chief minister, remembering Manohar Parrikar's contribution in making the armed forces a "modernised, lean and mean fighting machine".

Invoking an old memory of Manohar Parrikar, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted about how the former defence minister and chief minister "graciously" visited Sonia Gandhi at the hospital:

Here are pictures from outside the home of Manohar Parrikar in Panaji after he died today aged 63:

Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted today expressing his grief after the death of Manohar Parrikar. "Respected and admired across party lines, he was one of Goa's favourite sons," Mr Gandhi said.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote a tribute to Manohar Parrikar on Twitter after the former defence minister died. "I am speechless. The face of graceful and simple politics has been lost today. Manohar Bhai was a leader who truly ruled the heart of every worker. He was a companion and a good friend since my early days in politics. My emotional tributes to this great son of mother India who struggled for the development of Goa till his last breath," Mr Gadkari tweeted.
The Union Cabinet will hold a condolence meet tomorrow at 11 am after the death of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, news agency ANI reported.
Union Minister Vijay Kumar Singh expressed his grief after the death of former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar:

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted expressing his grief after Manohar Parrikar's death:

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