Debendra Pradhan Dies: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Debendra Pradhan, who was a minister in the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, died on Monday (March 17). He was 84 years old. The veteran leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Pradhan worked as a minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1998 to 2004. He is the father of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Debendra Pradhan was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, where he was admitted due to chest pain.
His son Dharmendra is the Minister of Education in the current central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Debendra Pradhan, former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Odisha unit, breathed his last in New Delhi. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that Debendra Pradhan was a popular public and qualified MP.
CM Majhi said, “He (Debendra Pradhan) discharged his duties efficiently as the Union Minister of Transport and Agriculture from 1999 to 2001. He did many welfare works as a public representative and MP for which he got a lot of affection for the general public. He devoted his entire life to the development of the state with the spirit of service and determination.”
Majhi said that the country and the state have lost a prestigious public servant as Debendra Pradhan. The Chief Minister also spoke to his son and expressed his condolences. Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik said that Debendra Pradhan will always be remembered for his unique organizational skills and adamant personality.
Patnaik said, “The state has lost an influential political person and popular politician with the death of Dr. Pradhan.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid the last tribute to former Union Minister Dr. Devendra Pradhan.
Born in a simple background, Debendra Pradhan created a distinct identity in politics. He earned fame as a dynamic and influential leader. He was a doctor by profession before stepping into politics. This was the profession that shaped his deep understanding about public welfare and governance.