Kovind, Modi mourn Somnath Chatterjee's demise
New Delhi, Aug 13: President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday mourned the death of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
"Sorry to hear of the passing of Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House.
"A loss for public life in Bengal and India. My condolences to his family and innumerable well-wishers," the President said in a tweet.
The Prime Minister described Chatterjee as a stalwart of Indian politics who made the parliamentary democracy richer.
Modi tweeted that Chatterjee "was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters".
The 10-time parliamentarian died at 8.15 a.m., at the Bellevue Clinic in Kolkata following a cardiac arrest and prolonged age-related ailments.
He suffered the heart attack on Sunday. Following kidney-related ailment his condition was critical and he was admitted to the clinic on August 7.
After the nursing home announced Chatterjee's death, condolences started pouring in.
Earlier Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also mourned the former Left leader in their tweets.
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'Red' alert for severe thunderstorms, hailstorms issued in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): A "red" alert for severe thunderstorms and hailstorms was issued for Delhi late on Sunday evening, with some parts of the national capital placed under an "orange" alert, as residents were advised to be prepared for potentially-disruptive weather conditions.
A "red" alert stands for "take action", indicating severe weather conditions.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), severe thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hailstorms, dust storms and moderate rainfall, along with gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 80 kmph, are very likely over the city, with some areas expected to witness moderate thunderstorm activity.
The IMD said a "red" alert has been issued for Outer North Delhi, Northwest Delhi, West Delhi, Southwest Delhi, parts of North Delhi, Central Delhi, Northeast Delhi and Shahdara, while South Delhi, Southeast Delhi and parts of North Delhi remain under an "orange" alert. Similar thunderstorm conditions are also likely at isolated places across various locations in Delhi-NCR.
The weather office warned of likely impacts, including the breaking of large tree branches, uprooting of weak or old trees, lightning strikes at vulnerable locations, such as tall trees and electric poles, and disruption of municipal services.
"Damage to kutcha houses, huts and weak structures, partial collapse of boundary walls, difficult driving conditions and possible road accidents are also likely. Vehicles may also be damaged due to falling branches or debris," it said.
Residents have been advised to move to safe buildings, avoid weak structures and stay away from windows during the storm.
Authorities have cautioned against taking shelter under trees or going near water bodies and advised people to unplug electrical equipment and avoid contact with metallic objects, water taps and pipes. People have also been asked to park vehicles in safe locations and, if caught during the storm while driving, to pull over safely and remain inside the vehicle.
They have further been advised to stay away from electric poles and power lines and remain alert to flying debris, officials said.
