NEW DELHI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- India's former Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who was in coma since 2008, died at a hospital in Delhi on Monday. He was 72.
"He died at 12:10 p.m. (local time). He had been critically ill for the past one month and unfortunately succumbed to his illness," privately owned Apollo Hospital said in a statement.
Considered as the "tallest" leader of the main opposition Congress party in his home state of West Bengal in eastern India, Dasmunsi went into coma after suffering a stroke nine years back.
At the time of the stroke that left him paralyzed, he was heading India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry under the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have all condoled the demise of Dasmunsi.
"Sad to hear about the demise of former Union Minister and veteran political leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi," Kovind said in a tweet.
"Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was a popular leader with rich political and administrative experience. He did notable work to popularize football in India," Modi tweeted.
Gandhi said: "Despite his prolonged illness, he remained popular in imagination of his people. His death is an irreparable loss to the Congress party and the country."
Dasmunsi was a parliamentarian from Raiganj constituency in West Bengal. He also served as the president of All India Football Federation for close to 20 years.
