<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in"> Rich tributes are pouring in for the former Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, who died at a hospital in Kolkata this morning. The 89 year old veteran Communist leader passed away following a multiple organ failure.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, BJP President Amit Shah, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and many other leaders have expressed condolence over the demise of Mr Chatterjee.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in"> In a tweet, President Kovind said, the former Lok Sabha speaker was a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House.<br />''Vice President Naidu said, Mr Chatterjee was always affable, highlighted people's problems and firmly stood by the principles he believed in.<br />''Prime Minister Modi termed Mr Chatterjee as a stalwart of Indian politics, saying that the former Lok Sabha Speaker made Parliamentary democracy richer. He said, Mr Chatterjee was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">         Describing him as a big brother, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, Mr Chatterjee's tenure as Speaker was a guidance for her.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">                  </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222">Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have also expressed sadness over the demise of Somnath Chatterjee.<o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in"> </span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">BJP President Amit Shah said, the 10-time MP was an excellent Parliamentarian, whose long years as a member of Lok Sabha, enriched the Parliamentary traditions.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, Mr Chatterjee was an institution and was greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians across party lines.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in">Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said, It was an honour for her that she could sit on the chair of Lok Sabha Speaker that was once occupied by Mr Chatterjee.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"> CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, Mr Chatterjee was a firm defender of the Indian Constitution, particularly, its secular and democratic foundations and federalism.  <o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.85pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222;mso-ansi-language:en-in"> A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Somnath Chatterjee was Speaker of the Lower House from 2004 to 2009.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family:times new roman;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#222222"><o:p /></span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:en-in"> </span></p>