Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the death of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saying with this the country lost a 'humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked towards the progress of Kerala'.
He tweeted, "In the passing away of Oommen Chandy Ji, we have lost a humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked towards the progress of Kerala. I recall my various interactions with him, particularly when we both served as Chief Ministers of our respective states, and later when I moved to Delhi. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this sorrowful hour. May his soul rest in peace."
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy passed away in Bengaluru on Tuesday. In a Facebook post, Chandy's son announced his father's demise, stating, "Appa has passed away." The 79-year-old leader had been undergoing treatment at a health facility in Bengaluru for an extended period as he had been unwell. Oommen Chandy had served as the Chief Minister of Kerala on two separate occasions. Chandy had set the record for the longest-serving MLA in Kerala. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has declared a two-day State mourning following the demise of the former CM.
Reacting to his demise Kerala Congress tweeted, "We mourn the loss of former Kerala CM and Congress stalwart Shri Oommen Chandy. He was a champion of development, democracy and secularism."
Remembering the time when he and Chandy came to politics, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the former was a 'capable administrator and a person who was closely involved in people's lives', as per ANI.
"We were elected to the Legislative Assembly in the same year. It was at the same stage that we came to the political fore through student life. We led public life at the same time and it is extremely difficult to bid him farewell. Oommen Chandy was a capable administrator and a person who was closely involved in people's lives," Vijayan was quoted as saying by ANI.