Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee passes away at 89

He was suffering from a kidney-related ailment and was admitted to the clinic in a critical condition on August 7, was critical following the heart attack he suffered on Sunday.

Image courtesy: PTI

Kolkata: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee died here on Monday at a private clinic following a cardiac arrest and prolonged illness, nursing home sources said. He was 89. Speaking to media, Bellevue Clinic CEO Pradip Tondon said "He died at 8.15 a.m." He was suffering from a kidney-related ailment and was admitted to the clinic in a critical condition on August 7, was critical following the heart attack he suffered on Sunday. He was associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life and was an independent in the last decade of his life. A close associate of Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, Chatterjee was expelled by the CPI(M) in 2008 for "seriously compromising the position of the party" when he refused to step down as the Speaker, a position which he believed was independent and unbiased. After his party, then under the general secretaryship of Prakash Karat, withdrew support from the UPA government in July 2008, Chatterjee refused to step down from his position holding that the Speaker's post is above any party politics. Describing July 23, 2008 as "one of the saddest days of my life," Chatterjee had said in a statement that, "The speaker of Lok Sabha, like the speakers of other elected assemblies, while acting as such does not and cannot represent any political party." It was on his initiative that proceedings of the Zero Hour were telecast live from July 5, 2004.

I mourn the passing away of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, 10 term MP and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was an institution. Greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines. My condolences to his family at this time of grief. #SomnathChatterjee

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 13, 2018

Former MP and Speaker Shri Somnath Chatterjee was a stalwart of Indian politics. He made our Parliamentary democracy richer and was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 13, 2018

He served as a Lok Sabha speaker from 2004 to 2009.