'Ahmed Patel lived & breathed Congress': Sonia & Rahul Gandhi condole veteran's demise

Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel passed away Wednesday morning after he suffered multiple organ failures due to his deteriorating health condition as a result of the Coronavirus. Condoling his demise, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that Ahmed Patel "was a pillar of the Congress party and it is a sad day."

'Ahmed Patel was a pillar of the Congress party'

Taking to Twitter, Rahul said that Ahmed Patel "lived and breathed Congress and stood with the party through its most difficult times" and called him "a tremendous asset." 

In her condolence message, interim party Chief Sonia Gandhi said, "In Sh. Ahmed Patel, I have lost a colleague, whose entire life was dedicated to the Congress Party. His faithfulness and dedication, his commitment to his duty, his always being there to help, his generosity were rare qualities that distinguished him from others. I have lost an irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend. I mourn his passing and I feel deeply for his bereaved family to whom I offer my sincere feelings of empathy and support.”

Priyanka Vadra Gandhi expressed her condolences and said that the passing away of the veteran leader "leaves an immense void."  

'Huge loss for Congress'

Several other Congress leaders including Randeep Surjewala, Bhupesh Baghel and Abhishek Singhvi condoled Ahmed Patel’s demise.

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READ | Congress leader Ahmed Patel passes away due to multiple organ failure

Ahmed Patel, who was undergoing treatment at a Gurugram hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday at the age of 71. In a tweet, his son Faisal Patel said that the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat died at 3.30 am on Wednesday.

"With profound grief & sorrow, I regret to announce the sad & untimely demise of my father, Mr Ahmed Patel at 25/11/2020, 03:30 AM. After testing positive for COVID-19 around a month back, his health worsened further due to multiple organ failures. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus, inshallah," Faisal Patel tweeted.

He requested all their well-wishers to adhere to the COVID-19 regulations by avoiding mass gatherings and "also maintain social distancing norms at all times."

Ahmed Patel, also the Treasurer of the Indian National Congress, had tested positive for the COVID-19 on October 1 and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on November 15. On October 1, Patel, while disclosing that he was tested positive for the COVID-19, had urged all those who came in contact with him in the past few days to undergo self-isolation.

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