Presidet Mukherjee condoles 'Mighty mind' Kalam's demise

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday expressed his condolence over the demise of former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam, saying the Missile Man had a 'mighty mind'.

"I received two to three poems which he wrote. He used to quietly write when we went to pay respects to soldiers. He had a mighty mind," he said.

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Top leaders, including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, were among those present who paid their tributes to India's Missile Man at his 10, Rajaji Marg residence.

Kalam's last rites will be performed at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

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The public is currently paying homage to the late president at his residence.

Parliament has been adjourned for two days. Its members offered their tribute and observed two-minutes of silence as a mark of respect to the late leader's memory.

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Kalam passed away in Shillong last evening.

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He collapsed after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong yesterday.

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The government has declared a seven-day national mourning as a mark of respect for Dr. Kalam, who played a stellar role in advancing India's nuclear programme.

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Considered one of the most popular presidents of India, Kalam became the11th head of the state and occupied the post between 2002 and 2007 during the NDA government headed by Atal

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Bihari Vajpayee.