Former India president Mukherjee dies

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for COVID-19 this month, died on Monday.

Edward Baran reports.

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for COVID-19 this month, died on Monday after weeks in hospital.

He was 84.

New Delhi's Army Hospital said earlier in the day that Mukherjee had gone into a septic shock after coming down with a lung infection.

His medical condition had declined since Sunday, it added.

He was a veteran politician who served as foreign and finance minister in previous administrations led by the now-opposition Congress party.

But Mukherjee had friends on both sides of the political divide.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter: "He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation." "A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum."