Maha legislature pays tributes to ex-Prez Pranab Mukherjee

Thackeray also said Mukherjee congratulated him on the Shiv Sena's win in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The CM also paid homage to former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar, and former legislature members Anil Rathod, Chandrakanta Goyal among others, who died recently.

Members of the Maharashtra legislature on Monday paid tributes to Pranab Mukherjee on the first day of the monsoon session, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray describing the former president as a sensitive human being who treated others with respect. Mukhejee, 84, died in an army hospital in New Delhi on August 31.

Tributes were also paid to former Maharashtra chief minister ShivajiraoPatil Nilangekar who died on August 5. Speaking on the condolence motion in the Legislative Assembly, Thackeray said he first met Mukherjee when the latter visited his home 'Matoshree' here with NCP chief Sharad Pawar as part of his campaign for the presidential polls.

"I realised he was a sensitive human being who treated others with respect. This is a rare quality," Thackeray said. The chief minister recalled that when Mukherjee, as president, was in Mumbai a few years ago, he got a call that the visiting dignitary wanted to meet him.

"I went to the Raj Bhavan with Aaditya (Thackeray's son) and Mukherjee told me he never thought he would be the president. 'But the Shiv Sena openly supported my candidature and facilitated my win. Unfortunately Balasaheb Thackeray is not with us now and my tenure is ending'," the chief minister said recalling Mukherjee's words. Thackeray also said Mukherjee congratulated him on the Shiv Sena's win in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

The CM also paid homage to former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar, and former legislature members Anil Rathod, Chandrakanta Goyal among others, who died recently. "The previous Sena-BJP alliance owed a lot to the Goyal family since several meetings would be held at her (Chandrakanta Goyal's) residence. I remember Chandrakanta tai and Ved Prakashji," Thackeray said referring to Ved Prakash Goyal, who was the BJP's treasurer for a long time.

Union minister Piyush Goyal is the son of Chandrakanta Goyal and Ved Prakash Goyal. The condolence motion was supported by Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and other members.

Fadnavis while paying tributes to Mukherjee described him as an excellent parliamentarian and statesman. "Mukherjee shared great equations with BJP leaders and prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. He was like a guardian to Modiji. Mukherjee spoke on nationalism at the RSS headquarters a few years ago," he recalled Fadnavis also paid tributes to Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar.

He said the last name Nilangekar was given to the leader by the state legislature. "In 1962, three Shivajirao Patils were elected. The then speaker told him that you will be called Nilangekar," Fadnavis said.

The BJP leader also said that Nilangekar gifted a traditional Maharashtrian nine yard saree to Indira Gandhi who wore it at a function in Mumbai. "Nilangekar became revenue minister in Sushilkumar Shinde's cabinet at the instance of Sonia Gandhi. He felt it would be improper to be a minister after serving as chief minister, but she said he would do a good job since the state is facing drought," Fadnavis said.

Nilangekar was a Congress loyalist and despite being a friend of (former prime minister) V P Singh, he refused to join his government as a Union minister, he added. In the Legislative Council, deputy chief minister and Leader of the House Ajit Pawar hailed Mukherjee for ensuring successfully that the country's "democracy, unity, integrity and sovereignty was not hurt" on his watch.

Ajit Pawar noted Mukherjee was President from 2012 to 2017 and witnessed two ideologically-different regimes of the UPA and NDA during his tenure. The deputy CM said Mukherjee remained loyal to the people during the period concerned.

"When he was invited to express his view on a RSS platform, he went there despite opposition from several people. But he expressed his own views on that (RSS) platform and stuck to his own ideology. He was a Congressman ideologically," Ajit Pawar added. Mukherjee had attended the RSS event in June 2018.

He also recalled that late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had supported Mukherjee during the Presidential elections, and added it was "important for the Indian Union of States". AboutPatil Nilangekar, Ajit Pawar said the former knew well the issues concerning the people.

"As a chief minister, he stressed on the all-round development of the state. He was a studious leader," Ajit Pawar recalled. Leader of the Opposition in the Council, Pravin Darekar, also heaped praises on Mukherjee.

"Pranab da was seen as a Congress troubleshooter," Darekar said and lauded Mukherjee for bringing financial reforms when he was Union finance minister during the UPA regime. Mukherjee's contribution towards the country will forever be remembered, Darekar added.

Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Industries Minister Subhash Desai, Congress' Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap, BJP's Niranjan Davkhare and others also paid tributes to Mukherjee,Patil Nilangekarand to late MLCs Vijay Mude, Ramnath Mote, Balbhimrao Deshmukh, Younus Haji Jaunuddin Shaikh and Jayavantrao Thakare..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)