Nation has lost a great leader: Moily on Fernandes' demise

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Monday condoled the death of former Union minister Oscar Fernandes, saying the nation has lost a great leader.Fernandes, a former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member, died at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Monday.

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Monday condoled the death of former Union minister Oscar Fernandes, saying the nation has lost a great leader.

Fernandes, a former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member, died at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Monday. He was 80, family sources said.

Fernandes was hospitalised in July after he suffered a head injury due to a fall when practising yoga at his home. He had also undergone a surgery to remove a clot in his brain.

''We have lost today one of the prominent leaders of the Congress party who served the party continuously for over five decades. He was loyal to the party and totally devoted to it. He worked together in the party from the district, state and the national level with me,'' Moily, who worked closely with Fernandes in Karnataka, said in a statement.

''For any party crisis, we always depended upon him and he was a crisis manager also. I have lost a personal friend, the nation has lost a great leader and the party has lost a devoted leader. My condolences to his family,'' he said.