Sheila Dikshit to get State funeral tomorrow (July 21), Delhi Govt declares 2-day mourning.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced a two-day mourning period and a State funeral for Sheila Dikshit who died on Saturday at 81 at a private hospital in Delhi after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Sisodia tweeted: "Delhi Govt has decided to observe a two-day State mourning as a mark of respect in the memory of [three-time] former Chief Minister and veteran leader Sheila Dikshit. She will be accorded a State funeral."
"Sheila Dikshit was brought in the morning on July 20, 2019 to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla, in a critical condition with cardiac arrest. A multi-disciplinary team of doctors, led by Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, carried out the advanced resuscitative measures. Her condition stabilised temporarily. However, she had another cardiac arrest and despite all the resuscitative efforts, passed away at 3:55pm on July 20, 2019," said the hospital in a statement.
According to reports, Dikshit had been undergoing treatment at Fortis Escorts hospital for the past few years.
It may be mentioned here that she was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi for a period of 15 years from 1998 to 2013. Dikshit was also the Governor of Kerala from March 2014 to August 2014.
"I'm devastated to hear about the passing away of Sheila Dikshit Ji, a beloved daughter of the Congress Party, with whom I shared a close personal bond. My condolences to her family & the citizens of Delhi, whom she served selflessly as a 3 term CM, in this time of great grief," tweeted Rahul Gandhi.
"I am shocked to hear the sudden passing away of Smt Shiela Dixit. In her death, the country has lost a dedicated Congress Leader of the masses. People of Delhi will always remember her contribution to the development during her three tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi," said former PM Manmohan Singh.
