New Delhi: Former Union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed passed away early Wednesday after he suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday.
The senior Kerala MP had collapsed in Parliament's Central Hall on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences in a message posted on Twitter. Describing Ahamed as a veteran political leader who served the nation with great diligence, the PM said the IUML president's role in deepening India's ties with West Asia was notable.
Ahamed's death had fuelled speculations over the presentation of the much-awaited Union Budget 2017 on Wednesday. As per convention, the House adjourns for a day in case a sitting member passes away. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, later tweeted that he would present the Budget. The House will not function tomorrow as a mark of respect to Ahamed, announced Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who provided an obituary to the deceased lawmaker before the start of the Budget Session.
The MP died at 2:15 am at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where he was admitted on Tuesday and put on artificial life support.
"Ahamed died despite being tried to revive. He was on life support system since Tuesday evening," sources said.
Ahamed's funeral will take place in Kerala on Thursday.
Ahamed, a former Minister in the UPA government and a longtime IUML MP from Kerala, was admitted to RML after he fell unconscious in Parliament's Central Hall during President Pranab Mukherjee's address.
