Kathmandu: President of the Nepali Congress (NC) and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has extended his deep sorrow over the demise of senior journalist and politician Mathawar Singh Basnet.

Commemorating the contribution of Basnet to the establishment and restoration of democracy in the country, party’s organizational strengthening and the journalism, the NC President has paid tributes to the late Basnet, extending deep condolences to the grieving families, according to a press statement issued by the NC on Saturday.

Basnet, a resident of Suryabinayak municipality-8 in Bhaktapur, is known as a dedicated democratic fighter. He was the former member of the NC District Working Committee, Bhaktapur. He had been closely associated with the late Ganeshman Singh during his political career.

Basnet, the author of the book “Ganeshman Singh – Mero Kathaka Panaharu”, had served as the Chair of the Gorkhapatra Sansthan, the Press Council Nepal, and the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS). He passed away on Saturday morning after being placed on ventilator support at Annapurna Neuro Hospital in Kathmandu, following a heart attack on Thursday night.

The Nepali Congress expressed that with Basnet’s passing, the party has lost a relentless democratic fighter and a senior and experienced figure in the journalism field.