Mumbai: Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday condoled deaths of union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and veteran Congress leader Prabhakar Kunte.
Deshmukh, a two time chief minister of the state, passed away on August 14 in a Chennai hospital due to a serious liver ailment while Kunte died here yesterday of old age.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan read out the resolution of condoling the passing away of the two Congress stalwarts and the Cabinet observed a two minute silence as a mark of respect for departed leaders.
Observing that Deshmukh's contribution to the progress and development of the state was immense, Chavan said, "he was a popular leader with tremendous mass connect. Deshmukh's oratory skills were legendary. He understood the state and its problems well".
Chavan remembered Kunte as a "staunch nationalist".
PTI
First Published: Thursday, August 16, 2012, 19:55