Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri’s wife Prof Simmi Agnihotri passed away on Friday evening after a heart attack at their native place Haroli in the Una district.

She breathed her last while being taken to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.

Mukesh Agnihotri took to social media late on Friday night to share the news of the demise of his wife that had left him and his daughter devastated. Her last rites were performed at their native place Gondpur of Haroli in the Una district on Saturday afternoon, where people paid homage to the departed soul.

Prof Simmi Agnihotri was a head and professor of the Political Science Department at the Himachal Pradesh University.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took to social media to express his condolences. “I pray to God to grant the departed soul a place in heaven and give strength to the family members to bear the terrible loss.”

He visited Gondpur to take part in the funeral procession and cremation that was attended by people from all walks of life.

Her daughter Aastha Agnihotri performed the cremation ceremony.

The chief minister prayed to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and courage to the bereaved family for bearing this irreparable loss. “The unexpected passing of Simmi Agnihotri is deeply saddening, leaving an irreplaceable void in the family. I have known Prof. Simmi Agnihotri since my university days, she was a highly educated woman committed to social causes. Life’s unpredictability has placed a burden on Mukesh Agnihotri and their daughter to lean on each other for support. May her soul find eternal peace. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the grieving family during this challenging period,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has expressed grief at the untimely passing away of Simmi Agnihotri. HPU Vice-Chancellor Prof. S P Bansal stated that the sudden demise has come as a shock to the entire University. “The University has suffered an irreparable loss, which is difficult to compensate. She was a talented educationist,” he added.

BJP leaders, including National President J P Nadda who hails from Himachal Pradesh, state BJP president Rajeev Bindal and BJP ex-CM Jai Ram Thakur have also condoled the demise of Agnihotri’s wife.