Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of Nepal's former prime minister Sushil Koirala and said India has lost a valued friend.
"In Sushil Koirala ji, NC has lost a big leader who served Nepal for decades & India lost a valued friend. Pained by his demise. RIP," Prime Minister Modi said in tweet.
"Sushil Koirala ji's simplicity holds lessons for all of us. My condolences to the Koirala family & people of Nepal in this hour of grief," he added.
Koirala who was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday.
He joined the Nepali Congress in 1952 and served in various capacities prior to becoming its president in 2010.
Koirala, who was elected Prime Minister of Nepal on February 10, 2014, resigned in October last year after parties failed to forge a consensus amid continued protests and blockade of a key border trade point with India over the country's new Constitution.
Born on August 12, 1939 in Banaras, Koirala was the cousin of former prime ministers Matrika Prasad Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala and Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala.
