Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave passes away

Environment Minister Anil Dave passed away in Delhi on Thursday.

60-year-old Dave complained of uneasiness at his home on Thursday morning and was rushed to AIIMS where he passed away, according to official sources.

He was a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2009.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolence in a series of tweets.

The Prime Minister said Dave will be remembered as a devoted public servant who was tremendously passionate towards conserving the environment.

“I was with Anil Madhav Dave ji till late last evening, discussing key policy issues. This demise is a personal loss,” he said in another tweet.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore also tweeted conveying his condolence and grief.

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condoled the demise of Union Minister for Environment, Anil Dave.

Describing the BJP leader as a “very nice man,” Ramesh in his condolence message remembered the support Dave had extended to him during his stint as Environment Minister in the previous Congress-led UPA government.

“He supported whatever I did when I was minister,” Ramesh said.

The Rajya Sabha MP said Dave, who was an “ideal chairman of the Rajya Sabha select committees,” had special interest in river conservation.

“He listened to everybody... (He) did not give offence to his political opponents,” Ramesh said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of the Union minister in a tweet.

Dave was a bachelor and spent almost all his life in Madhya Pradesh. He led a simple and austere life. He was a vegetarian and did yoga regularly.

Early this year, he contracted malaria and could not recover fully since then.

He was a student leader but joined active politics only in the previous decade. Though extremely soft-spoken, he ardently championed the cause of healthy rivers, water conservation, vegetarianism and organic farming.

National Flag will fly half-mast on all government buildings in Delhi and all state capitals today in view of the demise of Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave.

With inputs from NH Web Desk