Kolkata: President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday led the nation in paying glowing tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, one of the country's most respected parliamentarians who died here in the morning.

Calling him "a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House", the President tweeted: "A loss for public life in Bengal and India. My condolences to his family and innumerable well-wishers."