Ex-Union Minister Ram Niwas Mirdha passes away<br/><br/>Senior Congress leader and former union minister Ram Niwas Mirdha, who was undergoing treatment at a city hospital, died today. 87-year-old Mirdha, who was also former Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly, was admitted in Sir Gangaram hospital on January 21 after he was diagnosed with kidney infection.<br/><br/>Dr D S Rana, Consultant, Department of Nephrology of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said that Mirdha had a multi organ failure. Mirdha is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Mirdha's last rites would be performed in his paternal Kuchera village in Nagour district of Rajasthan tomorrow.<br/><br/>A cabinet meeting was also convened in Jaipur by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to condole the death of Mirdha. A state mourning was also declared tomorrow in view of the funeral.<br/><br/>The veteran Congress leader was currently heading a number of socio-cultural institutions, including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademy. Mirdha was Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha from March 1977 to April 1980. As a union minister he held several portfolios, including textile, irrigation, external affairs, communication and health and family welfare.<br/><br/>Congress President Sonia Gandhi had called on the ailing leader in the hospital in the morning to take stock of his health condition. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also visited the hospital last night to enquire about his health.<br/><br/>Condoling his death, AICC media department in-charge Janardan Dwivedi said the passing away of a civilised and cultured person like him was a loss that cannot be compensated.