The mortal remains of India's 13th president, who died on Monday after a three-week battle with multiple ailments, were taken to his residence from the Army's Research and Referral hospital in a flower bedecked white vehicle. The last rites will be conducted at the Lodi Road crematorium in the afternoon. 

 As the nation observed seven-day mourning in honour of its "Bharat Ratna", a long-time Congress politician and one of India's most respected people in public life, a host of leaders and others visited his 10 Rajaji Marg residence. 

Following COVID-19 protocols such as maintaining social social distancing and wearing masks, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief J P Nadda, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several Union ministers such as Nirmala Sitharaman and Harsh Vardhan were among those who paid homage to him. Leaders paid floral tributes to a photo of Mukherjee, while his remains were kept in another room. Besides the 'VIPs', workers of various parties and the general public stood in long queues maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and carrying bouquets as they waited patiently to catch a glimpse of Mukherjee for one last time. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh visited the late president's home to condole his death. 

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, CPI general secretary D Raja and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia were also there to pay their respect to a man who had spent more than five decades in public life and was admired as a "consensus builder". "Whether people agreed with him or not, he was very forthright in articulating his views keeping in view the interests of the country," Raja told reporters. -- PTI