Minister Anil Dave passes away

Union Environment Minister Anil Dave, a long-time RSS member, died of cardiac arrest here on Thursday. He was 60. The two-time Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh complained of uneasiness in the morning and was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where he breathed his last, official sources said.

Dave had recently recovered from back-to-back attacks of pneumonia and viral fever. “The minister was brought to AIIMS, New Delhi, at around 8.50 am in a state of cardiac arrest. All measures were taken to resuscitate him. He was declared dead at around 9.45 am,” a doctor said.

Cremation in Indore
The minister’s body was kept in Delhi for a few hours before being flown to Indore for cremation.  Dave, a bachelor, is survived by brother Abhay. The government has named Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan as Dave’s replacement in the green ministry, in addition to his existing portfolio.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke the news through a tweet. “Absolutely shocked by the sudden demise of my friend and a very respected colleague, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave. He will be remembered as a devoted public servant. He was tremendously passionate towards conserving the environment. I was with him till late last evening, discussing key policy issues. This demise is a personal loss,” Modi tweeted. President Pranab Mukherjee and several other leaders expressed condolences. The national flag remained half-mast on Thursday in his honour.