Former president R Venkataraman passes away

27 January 2009

Ramaswamy Venkataraman, 98, who helped to draft India's constitution and served as the country's president from 1987 to 1992, passed away on Tuesday in New Delhi.

Venkataraman, who ushered in the country's first coalition government in 1989, breathed his last at 2.30 pm at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) where he was admitted on 12 January with urinary infection.

"His general condition has progressively deteriorated since admission despite intensive medical and nursing care," commandant of the Army Hospital Lieutenant General O P Mathew said.

''He was suffering from multi-organ failure and was on advanced life support systems, including ventilator support, continuous hemodialysis and drugs, to keep his blood pressure normal," Mathew said.

A veteran member of the Congress, he swore in VP Singh as prime minister in 1989 following elections that produced a hung Lok Sabha. It was the country's first coalition government.

President Pratibha Patil, vice president Hamid Ansari and prime minister Manmohan Singh mourned Venkataraman's death.