Nepali Congress leader and former deputy Prime Minister Shailaja Acharya passed away at the age of 65 Friday morning while undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj.

Acharya had been ill since past two years and hospitalised since the past year. She had undergone treatment in Bangkok and Kathmandu. Doctors in Bangkok, where Acharya had been hospitalised for nine months, had diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s disease.

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala pays his last respects to Shailaja Acharya while her body was kept at the NC central office, Sanepa, before her funeral at Pashupati Aryaghat, Friday, June 12 09. She died this morning at the age of 65. nepalnews.com/ANA

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala pays his last respects to …
She breathed her last at 4.25 am. She was admitted at the hospital Wednesday after she complained of respiratory problem and was put on ventilator support at the Intensive Care Unit since then.

Late Acharya was among the few women leaders who made a remarkable contribution to reinstate democracy in the country in 1990.

She was jailed for showing black flag to the then King Mahendra in 1961. She went into self-exile in India when she was released from jail after three years. She returned to Nepal with her political mentor and then NC president B.P Koirala in 1976 with a message of national reconciliation.

Acharya was appointed agriculture minister in the first elected government following the restoration of democracy in 1990. She resigned from the post, complaining of widespread corruption in the ministry. In the coalition government in 1997, Acharya was the deputy prime minister with water resources portfolio.

Her body was kept at the NC central office, Sanepa, for a few hours for paying last respects.

NC president Girija Prasad Koirala, who is her maternal uncle, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Maoist leaders Narayankaji Shrestha and Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Rastriya Prajatantra Party chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana, and huge number of NC cadres and relatives were present there to pay their last respects to her.

Her last rites were performed at the Pashupati Aryaghat amid huge presence of political leaders, activists and relatives. Nepal Army offered 9-gun salute as an honour to the late Congress leader.

Meanwhile, the legislature parliament passed a condolence note on Acharya’s death. Today’s sitting ended without entering into the regular business. Speaker Subas Nemwang presented the condolence note before the House.

Unified CPN (Maoist), which has been disrupting the House proceedings for several days now, allowed the sitting to take place in order to pass the condolence note. nepalnews.com June 12 09