President Murmu condoles demise of Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday expressed sadness over the demise of Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, and extended her condolences to the bereaved family members.

Pathak, a pioneer in building public toilets, died at AIIMS here due to a cardiac arrest earlier in the day, according to a close aide.

Pathak, 80, hoisted the national flag at the Sulabh International headquarters in the morning on the occasion of Independence Day and collapsed soon after, the aide said.

"The news of the demise of Shri Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, is very sad. Shri Pathak had taken a revolutionary initiative in the field of cleanliness. He was honoured with many awards including the Padma Bhushan. I express my condolences to his family and members of Sulabh International," Murmu said in a post in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.

सुलभ इंटरनेशनल के संस्थापक श्री बिन्देश्वर पाठक के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुखदाई है। श्री पाठक ने स्वच्छता के क्षेत्र में क्रान्तिकारी पहल की थी। उन्हें पद्म-भूषण सहित अनेक पुरस्कारों से सम्मानित किया गया था। उनके परिवार तथा सुलभ इंटरनेशनल के सदस्यों को मैं अपनी शोक-संवेदनाएं…

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 15, 2023