Guwahati, November 25: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid last respects to party leader and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here in Guwahati. Terming the demise of Gogoi as a personal loss for him, the Wayanad MP said that Gogoi treated him like his own son.

"Tarun Gogoi treated me like his own son. It is a personal loss for me. Today we have also lost Ahmed Patel ji, another pillar of the Congress party," Rahul Gandhi told reporters here. "It is a tragic day for us. Tarun Gogoi always discussed with me about Assam and its people. He brought different religions and cultures of Assam together," he added. Ahmed Patel Dies at 71| Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot, Abhishek Singhvi & Others Express Grief Over the Demise of Senior Congress Leader.

Gogoi, 84, died on Monday evening at Guwahati Medical College where he was on ventilation after suffering a multi-organ failure. He had tested positive for COVID-19 in August.

The cremation will be conducted on November 26. He was the 13th chief minister of the state and held office between 2001 and 2016.