UP Minister Kamal Rani Varun dies battling coronavirus

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NEW DELHI | AUG 02, 2020:

Uttar Pradesh Minister, Kamal Rani Varun, who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, died battling the infection in Lucknow this morning. She was 62.

Varun breathed her last at 9:30 am at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, the government said in a statement.

Technical Education Minister, Kamal Rani Varun is the first minister in Uttar Pradesh to die after contracting coronavirus.

"She had comorbidities in the form of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. She had bilateral pneumonia at admission and was shifted to ICU on the day of admission itself because of high oxygen requirement.," Dr. RK Dhiman, Director SGPGI, Lucknow, said.

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Condolences have poured in from across the country with political leaders expressing grief over the demise of the minister.

In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind said, well respected for serving people at the grassroots, Kamal Rani Varun had also served as an MP in the Lok Sabha twice. He expressed condolences to her family and followers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also condoled her demise. In a tweet, Singh said, Kamal Rani Varun was known for her diligence and she contributed a lot to strengthen the party in and around Kanpur.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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