Goa CM Manohar Parrikar Passes Away, govt. declares national mourning on Monday. Abhishek Tripathi News Updates Mon, Mar 18, 2019, at ,11:47 AM Goa chief minister Manohar Gopalakrishna Prabhu Parrikar, a former defence minister who had been battling a pancreatic ailment for over a year, died at his private residence on Sunday. He was 63. The condition of the former defence minister, diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in February last year, turned "extremely critical" on Sunday. According to reports, Parrikar had been on life support system since late Saturday night. Parrikar served the state four times as chief minister and had a three-year-long stint as defence minister in the Narendra Modi-led cabinet. Born on December 13, 1955 into a middle class family, his political career began as an RSS pracharak and he continued working for the Sangh even after graduating from IIT-Bombay as a metallurgical engineer. Parrikar entered electoral politics in 1994 when he won on a BJP ticket from Panaji constituency. He was leader of the Opposition from June to November 1999 and was known for his speeches against the then Congress-led government. He became chief minister of Goa for the first time on October 24, 2000, but his tenure lasted only until February 27, 2002. On June 5, 2002, he was re-elected and served another term as chief minister. Parrikar is survived by two sons and their families. President Ram Nath Kovind said, "Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, chief minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. P.M. Narendra Modi condoled the death of Parrikar, hailing him as an "unparalleled leader". "Shri Manohar Parrikar was an unparalleled leader. A true patriot and exceptional administrator, he was admired by all. His impeccable service to the nation will be remembered by generations. Deeply saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti," Modi said in one of several tweets. Amit Shah wrote on Twitter, "Manohar Parrikar ji's demise is extremely painful. In him, the nation has lost a true patriot who selflessly dedicated his entire life to the country and ideology. Parrikar jis commitment towards his people and duties was exemplary."