Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 3: Former Deputy Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Pt Mangat Ram Sharma passed away at his residence here this morning.
He was 85 and is survived by six sons and grandchildren.
Family sources said that veteran Congress leader breathed his last at his Gandhi Nagar residence at around 10 am. He had his breakfast and tea at around 9.30 an and then he complained of little chest pain and breathlessness and then passed away in no time. The cremation would take place at Shastri Nagar cremation ground tomorrow (Friday) at 11 am.
Pt Mangat Ram, a five time MLA, two times MLC and one time Member of Parliament from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha Constituency, was considered to be a strong pillar of Congress party in the State. He remained Speaker J&K Legislative Assembly and Dy Chief Minister during `PDP-Congress Coalition’ led by Mufti Mohd Sayeed. He earned lot of respect in the party and among all sections of people due to his humble behavior, friendly attitude, helping nature and secular mindset.
As the news of his death spread in the city, the Congress leaders and party activists besides other people from all walks of life started gathering at his private residence at Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar.
Governor N N Vohra expressed grief over the sad demise of Pt Mangat Ram Sharma. In a message of condolence, the Governor has prayed for the peace to the departed soul and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh also condoled the demise of veteran Congress leader and former DyCM Pt Mangat Ram Sharma and extended their sympathies to the bereaved family. The Chief Minister also paid visit to the residence of Late Sharma at Gandhi Nagar to offer personal condolences to the family.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad who arrived here from Union capital in the morning to visit Pak firing affected border villages, straightway went to the residence of Late Sharma and expressed grief and shock over the demise of veteran Congress leader. He expressed his sympathy with the bereaved family. Mr Azad was accompanied by several senior party leaders.
National Conference leaders and former Chief Ministers- Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah also expressed deep shock over the sad demise of Pt Mangat Ram Sharma and expressed their sympathies with the bereaved family. Senior party leaders, Devinder Singh Rana, S S Slathia, Ajay Sadhotra, Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy, Sajjad Kichloo, Dr B A Veeri, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Rattan Lal Gupta, Kashmira Singh, Bimla Luthra, Deepinder Kour, R S Sharma, Ch Haroon, Jugal Mahajan, Vijay Lochan and D S Jamwal also condoled the death of Pt Mangat Ram Sharma
Minister for CAPD, Ch Zulfkar, Advisor to Chief Minister Prof Amitabh Mattoo also condoled the sad demise of Pt Mangat Ram Sharma and expressed sympathy with the bereaved family.
PCC president, Ghulam Ahmed Mir, former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Prof Saifuddin Soz, MLA Inderwal Ghulam Mohd Saroori, former ministers Nawang Rigzin Jora (CLP leader), Sham Lal Sharma, Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, Mohd Sharief Niaz, R S Chib, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Abdul Majid Wani, Shabir Khan, Taj Mohiuddin, Madan Lal Sharma, Yogesh Sawhney, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma and Manjit Singh besides several senior leaders and former legislators including Jahangir Hussain Mir (Dy Chairman LC), Ravinder Sharma, Subash Gupta, Naresh Gupta, Viqar Rasool-MLA, Mohd Akram-MLA, Aijaz Khan-MLA, Gulzar Ahmed Wani-MLA, Mumtaz Khan-MLA, Mohd Amin Bhat-MLA, Usman Majid-MLA, Asgar Karbalai-MLA, Deldan Namgyal-MLA, Muzaffar Parray-MLC, INTUC president Shiv Kumar Sharma, PYC president Pranav Shagotra, Pradesh Mahila Congress president Indu Pawar, Congress Seva Dal chief organizer BS Sambyal, Rani Billowria, Kanta Bhan, Manmohan Singh, Nam-rata Sharma, Anil Chopra, Shah Mohd Choudhary, Y B Sharma, Hari Singh, M K Bhardwaj, B S Slathia, Zaffarullah, G L Chal-otra, Parkash Sharma, Vinod Mishra, Haider Sheikh, Sain Abdul Rashid, Rajinder Singh, Ashwani Puri, Arun Sharma, Neeraj Gupta, K K Khosa president, Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Chuni Lal Bhat, Congress leader and Ex-president +2 Lecturers Forum Abdul Kayoom and others condoled the sad demise of veteran Congress leader.
PDP has also condoled the sad demise of Pt Mangat Ram Sharma. In a statement issued today party general secretary Sartaj Madni termed the demise of Late Sharma as great loss to the State. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved family on behalf of party.
Chief patron of NPP Prof Bhim Singh and CPI (M) leader Yohd Yousuf Tarigami also expressed shock over the death of strong Dogra leader and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.
Rt Rev Ivan Pereira, the head of the Catholic community in J&K, Anjuman-e-Imamia Jammu also expressed immense grief and extended heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of the veteran leader and former DyCM, Pt MR Sharma.
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