President, PM pay last respects to Ram Vilas Paswan at his residence

Union minister and President of the Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale also visited Paswan’s home here to pay his respects. Others who offered condolences and prayers at Paswan's residence included Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, BJP MPs Pragya Thakur, Anurag Thakur, and Ramesh Bidhuri, NCP President Sharad Pawar, RJD MP Misa Bharti and AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid their last tributes to Union minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan at his residence here on Friday. "Paid respects to late Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji. His unwavering commitment to social justice will always be remembered," the Prime Minister tweeted.

BJP leaders including Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Giriraj Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Smriti Irani and Dharmendra Pradhan also paid their tributes to the departed leader. Union minister and President of the Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale also visited Paswan's home here to pay his respects.

Others who offered condolences and prayers at Paswan's residence included Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, BJP MPs Pragya Thakur, Anurag Thakur, and Ramesh Bidhuri, NCP President Sharad Pawar, RJD MP Misa Bharti and AAP MP Sanjay Singh. Paswan, one of the most prominent Dalit leaders of the country who had been a part of several governments headed by rival parties, died on Thursday at the age of 74. The Lok Janshakti Party founder and the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had recently undergone a heart operation and remained in a private hospital here for several weeks.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet has been convened on Friday to express condolences over the minister's demise. The Union Home Ministry has announced the national flag will fly at half mast in Delhi and in the capitals of all states and union territories on Friday as a mark of respect to Paswan.

A State funeral will be accorded to the Union minister. Paswan's body will be flown to Patna and taken to the party's office on Friday and the cremation will take place Saturday.