Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani have epxressed grief on the demise of Nepal’s five-time Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa in separate condolence messages on Thursday.
“It was with sorrow that I received the news of the sad demise of your beloved father, Surya Bahadur Thapa, former Prime Minister of Nepal. With his passing, Nepal has lost a great leader and visionary statesman who had served its people with dedication and commitment over a long and distinguished political career,” Indian President Mukherjee‘s message read.
“I very much valued his friendship and had worked with him closely on several occasions for the common objective of strengthening the bilateral cooperation between Nepal and India for the mutual benefit of our peoples. I shall miss him greatly,” it added.
Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed grief on the death of Former Prime Minister Thapa on Thursday. In a twit, the Indian Prime Minister extended condolences to the bereaved family members of Thapa also.
Senior BJP leader LK Advani condoled the death of Thapa and said the South Asian region has lost a visionary.
In a statement, he said, “I am deeply pained at the passing away of Shri Surya Bahadur Thapa, an outstanding statesman of Nepal and five-time Prime Minister of his country. We, in India, greatly admired him for his deep and abiding dedication to the well-being of the people of Nepal and to his sincere commitment to India-Nepal friendship.”
In his death, Advani said, he had lost a valuable friend and “the South-Asian Region a leader widely respected as a visionary”.
“On this sad occasion I hasten to convey my profound condolences to the Government and people of Nepal and to his family. With Lord Pashupati Nath’s blessings, may his soul rest in peace,” the former Prime Minister said.
Thapa died of cancer Wednesday night while undergoing treatment in New Delhi-based Medanta Hospital.
The funeral of the five-time prime minister would be performed in Kathmandu on Friday.