NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to pay tribute to veteran Jharkhand leader and former chief minister Shibu Soren, who passed away earlier in the day after a prolonged illness. Soren, 81, was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments and had been on life support for the past month.PM Modi also met Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and other family members. In a post the Prime Minister said: “Went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to pay homage to Shri Shibu Soren Ji. Also met his family. My thoughts are with Hemant Ji, Kalpana Ji and the admirers of Shri Shibu Soren Ji.”In an earlier message on X, the Prime Minister said, “Shri Shibu Soren Ji was a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Spoke to Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti.”
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President Droupadi Murmu said his death was a “big loss in the space of social justice”, while Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar called him “a strong voice of tribal identity and rights”.Murmu also visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to pay her last respects to the former Jharkhand CM.Soren, known as ‘Dishom Guru’, had been under treatment since June 19 and was declared dead at 8.56am on August 4. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said he passed away peacefully “despite the best efforts of our multidisciplinary medical team”.Hemant Soren posted, “Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all… I have become ‘shunya’ (zero) today.” The Jharkhand Assembly adjourned sine die and the state government announced a three-day mourning. His body will be brought to Ranchi, taken to the Assembly and later to his native village Nemra.Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recalled Soren’s “vital contributions” and described his passing as an “irreparable loss”. RJD chief Lalu Prasad remembered him as a fellow struggler for social justice. “Many memories are associated with the struggles alongside him,” he said.Tejashwi Yadav called him “our guardian” and said his “historic contributions to social justice and tribal welfare will always be remembered.”
