Mumbai, May 03: BJP leader Pramod Mahajan today succumbed to bullet injuries at 4.10 pm, more than eleven days after he was shot at by his brother Praveen. Mahajan, who today suffered from multiple organ failure, had been on ventilatory, ionotropic and dialysis support for the past few days.
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The 56-year-old BJP general secretary is survived by his wife Rekha, son Rahul and daughter Poonam who were at his bedside when he breathed his last at 4.10 pm.
"It is with deep regret we have to announce that Pramod Mahajan, who had been battling for life for the last 12 days, succumbed to his bullet injuries," Pramod Lele, Chief
Executive Officer of Hinduja Hospital, told reporters announcing his death.
Mahajan was shot at by his youngest brother Praveen at the BJP leader's Worli residence on April 22. He underwent a four-hour emergency surgery to deal with critical injuries in his liver, lower chest, abdomen and pancreas. Three bullets that caused extensive damage to his vital organs and massive bleeding were not removed.
Lele said doctors and international experts worked round the clock to save Mahajan but unfortunately he passed away at 4.10 pm.
“The doctors tried their best but God willed otherwise,” Lele added.
Mahajan was put on ventilatory, ionotropic and dialysis support for the past few days and his condition had started deteriorating since yesterday.
The first indication that Mahajan's condition had worsened and he might not survive was available when a large number of political leaders, including Sushma Swaraj of BJP and Shiv Sena's Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray and Thackeray's daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray visited the hospital in forenoon. A large number of BJP workers also
gathered outside the hospital.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani and party president Rajnath Singh cut short their yatras and flew to Mumbai. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other party leaders were rushing to Mumbai.
A pall of gloom descended on BJP Central Headquarters at 11 Ashoka Road in New Delhi where the party flag was lowered at half mast and party leaders made a beeline to the party office.
A photograph of Mahajan was immediately placed in the main hall of the building where the former union minister had addressed numerous news conferences and attended several meetings.
To be cremated tomorrow
BJP leader Pramod Mahajan will be cremated tomorrow at Shivaji Park Crematorium in Central
Mumbai, state BJP president Nitin Gadkari announced here.
His body will be kept at the BJP state headquarters at Nariman Point from 8 pm till late night, after which it will be taken to Mahajan's residence at Sir Pochkhanwala road in Worli.
The funeral procession will begin at 10 am from the Worli residence and last rites will be performed at Shivaji Park Crematorium, Gadkari said.
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