Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde dies in road accident!

64 years old senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who was recently appointed as Union Rural Development Minister, passed away on Tuesday (03 May, 2014) morning after he met with a road accident in New Delhi.

He was admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre after he met with a road accident on way to the Delhi airport.
Munde was going in his SX4 vehicle at Aurobindo Chowk when an Indica car hit him, he was sitting on the back side of the car when the accident took place. When he was brought to the hospital, there was no cardiac response. A doctor said that despite taking all immediate steps, Munde could not be revived. He said that Munde breathed his last at 7.20 am. Though the doctor did not confirm a cardiac arrest, he said that the death could have been caused due to a cardiac condition.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that "Munde met with the accident at around 6.30 am. Though there were no external injuries, Munde suffered internal injuries in the accident which led to his death."

Terming Munde as a great leader, Gadkari said that, "This was a big loss for the Maharashtra leader’s family and the BJP. He said that Munde’s cremation would take place at his village in Latur, Maharashtra."

Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, "He was brought to the hospital in a very critical cardiac condition. He said that the exact cause of death could be ascertained after post mortem. He said that there was just a small abrasion on Munde’s nose, but no external injuries."

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others, condoled the sudden death of the Union Minister.

Modi tweeted,
@narendramodi: Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colleague Gopinath Munde ji. His demise is a major loss for the Nation & the Govt.

@narendramodi: Gopinath Munde ji was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights & tirelessly served people.

@narendramodi: My tributes to a dynamic leader whose premature demise leaves a void hard to fill.

@narendramodi: Condolences to Munde ji's family. We stand by them in this hour of grief.

His body will be taken to Beed, Maharashtra where he was supposed to address a victory rally. The funeral will take place in Latur tomorrow.