President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday expressed sadness over the demise of Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, and extended her condolences to the bereaved family members.

Pathak, a pioneer in building public toilets, died at AIIMS here due to a cardiac arrest earlier in the day, according to a close aide.

Pathak, 80, hoisted the national flag at the Sulabh International headquarters in the morning on the occasion of Independence Day and collapsed soon after, the aide said.

"The news of the demise of Shri Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, is very sad. Shri Pathak had taken a revolutionary initiative in the field of cleanliness. He was honoured with many awards including the Padma Bhushan. I express my condolences to his family and members of Sulabh International," Murmu said in a post in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.

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