India mourns as former president and Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84

Even after he demitted the office of president, Mukherjee remained a presence to contend with. He attended several book launches and delivered lectures. (Photo | PTI)

The West Bengal-born politiciam was famed for his encyclopaedic memory and deep insights into several issues. At 47, Mukherjee went on to become India's youngest finance minister in 1982. (Photo | PTI)

Mukherjee also served as India's minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce and was the first Indian president to have done so. (Photo | PTI)

Mukherjee managed the rare distinction of serving three prime ministers as minister -- Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. (Photo | PTI)

Mukherjee was also India's only non-prime minister who was leader of the Lok Sabha for eight years. He was also leader of the Rajya Sabha from 1980-85. (Photo | PTI)

A people's person till the end, 'Citizen Mukherjee' used Twitter to communicate to the world that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 10. (Photo | PTI)

There were other landmarks in a remarkable political career, which started in 1969 as a Rajya Sabha member for the Bangla Congress which subsequently merged with the Congress. (Photo | PTI)

In his book “The Coalition Years”, Mukherjee acknowledged that he had hoped to get the post in May 2004. The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for prime minister after Sonia Gandhi declined,” Mukherjee wrote, admitting that he had initially refused to join the cabinet of Manmohan Singh who had been his junior in the past but agreed when Sonia Gandhi insisted. (Photo | AP)

In 2015, he lost his wife Suvra Mukherjee. He is survived by his two sons Indrajit and Abhijit, and daughter Sharmistha, who was by his side during important events of his president years. (Photo | PTI)