President Ram Nath Kovind calls up Capt Amarinder Singh to condole Mohinder Kaur's demise

Chandigarh: President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday called up Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to condole the death of the latter's mother, Rajmata Mohinder Kaur.

The President expressed his heartfelt sympathies with the Punjab chief minister saying his thoughts and prayers were with the family in their hour of grief.

Singh is currently in Patiala. The last rites of his mother, who died on Monday, were performed yesterday.

Kovind recalled his stay with the family in Moti Bagh Palace during his visit to Patiala along with Morarji Desai in 1977.

He remembered the pleasant hospitality offered to him by the 'Rajmata' during their palace stay, a press statement issued by the chief minister's office said.

Despite being close to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mohinder Kaur had chosen to side with the old guard led by Morarji Desai when the Congress split after Emergency, it said.

She chose to join the Janata Party and was appointed its general secretary. It was during that time, in 1977, when Kovind had visited Moti Bagh palace.

The chief minister, while thanking President Kovind for his condolences, regretted that he could not attend the latter's swearing-in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

Amarinder congratulated Kovind on being elected to the high office of President.

Jaitley also expressed his deepest sympathies to the chief minister and other members of the family. The finance minister said he prayed to the Almighty to give the family courage to bear the grief.