Gopinath Munde dies after road accident; receives guard of honour as body reaches Mumbai
Gopinath Munde died of internal bleeding, heart attack, says post-mortem report
New Delhi: Rural Development Minister and senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Gopinath Munde died in a road accident in New Delhi on Tuesday.
64-year-old Munde was on his way to airport when his car was hit by another vehicle at around 6:30 am at Prithviraj road-Tughlak road roundabout in the heart of the capital, said Union Minster Nitin Gadkari.
(Photo: The car which hit Gopinath Munde's vehicle)
He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead around 7:50, said Gadkari. Though Munde did not suffer any injuries, he apparently suffered a shock in the impact of accident.
Munde asked for water from his security guard Nair who was sitting in front of the car and told him to take him to the hospital. Munde was rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre by his personal assistant and a driver.
When he was brought to the hospital, he did not have pulse and blood pressure. There was no cardiac activity, said an AIIMS doctor.
Despite all measures, Munde could not be revived and was declared dead. His funeral will take place at his village in Latur tomorrow.
The Delhi police have taken the driver into custody as he was alone in the car. An inquiry into the accident has been launched.
“Union Minister Gopinath Munde was brought to trauma centre at AIIMS at 6:30am by personal assistant and driver,” according to the medical bulletin from AIIMS.
“Gopinath Munde collapsed in the car when accident happened around 6:20am. He was declared dead at 7:20am,” the bulletin added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolence, tweeting, "Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colleague Gopinath Munde ji. His demise is a major loss for the Nation & the Govt."
“Gopinath Munde ji was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights & tirelessly served people," Modi said. "My tributes to a dynamic leader whose premature demise leaves a void hard to fill. Condolences to Munde ji's family. We stand by them in this hour of grief," the Prime Minister said.
Munde swore in as rural development minister in Narendra Modi's Cabinet on May 26.