Ranchi: Jharkhand’s Education Minister Jaggarnath Mahto died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai on Thursday morning. The 56-year-old leader had undergone lung transplant in Chennai after contracting Covid in November 2020. He was a four-time MLA from Dumri and this was his first stint as Minister after Mahagathbandhan came into power in 2019.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren confirmed the senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader’s death and called it an “irreparable damage. “ Our tiger Jagarnath Da is no more! Today, Jharkhand has lost one of its great agitators, combative, hardworking and popular leader. Respected Jagarnath Mahato ji passed away during treatment in Chennai,” tweeted Hemant Soren. May God give peace to the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this difficult hour of grief, added the Chief Minister. He was airlifted to Chennai after he fell ill during the state budget session last month.
He is survived by a son and four daughters. The state government has declared a two-day mourning period and also cancelled a cabinet meeting scheduled on Wednesday evening. As part of the state mourning all government offices remained closed while the national flag hoisted at the government offices and buildings was flown at half mast. The mortal remains of the leader will be brought to Kolkata from Chennai on Friday early morning and from there it would be brought to Ranchi.
Upon arrival its arrival in Ranchi the mortal remains will be taken to the Jharkhand Assembly were tributes will be paid to him. From there the body will be brought to the camp office of the JMM located at Harmu where party leaders and workers will pay his tributes. From Ranchi, the body will be taken to his ancestral village of Simrakuli village of Alargo panchayat located in Bermo block of Bokaro district so that the family members and relatives can pay their last tributes. He would be cremated on the banks of Damodar river.
Leaders cutting across party lines including Tamilnadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Jharkhand Governor CPR Radhakrishnan Union Minister Arjun Munda State BJP Leader of legislature wing of BJP Babulal Marandi State BJP president Deepak Prakash Incharge for Congress party affairs in Jharkhand Avinash Pandey, Ministers of Jharkhand Government and leaders of other parties including AJSU supremo Sudesh Kumar Mahto have also expressed their grief over the demise of Jaggarnath Mahto.