Jayalalithaa to skip APJ Abdul Kalam’s funeral due to health issues

Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit and Israeli Ambassador to New Delhi Daniel Carmon, too, paid homage to the former Indian president.

India’s President Pranab Mukherjee said “Kalam would be long remembered for his passion for science and innovation and his contribution as an eminent scientist, administrator, educationist and writer”.

A host of global leaders, including US President Barack Obama, had extended their condolenceson the death of the former president.

Vice president Hamid Ansari, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the three service chiefs too paid tribute to Kalam at the airport.

The last rites of former president APJ Abdul Kalam will be held in his hometown Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu following his family’s wish, it was announced on Tuesday

Although the People’s President is no more, his Twitter account will be active with a new name.

Dr Kalam died of cardiac arrest on Monday after he collapsed while delivering a lecture at IIM Shillong in Meghalaya.

The father of Indias missile program, 71-year-old Kalam said that the alleviation of poverty and development of rural areas are important issues for India.