“Pranab-Da” cremated with full state honours
NEW DELHI : Former president Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away on Monday at the age of 84, was laid to rest with full military honors in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. Mukherjee breathed his last on Monday evening following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments.Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee performed the last rites at the Lodhi Road electric crematorium.
An Army contingent gave a guard of honour and a gun salute to the former president. Mukherjee’s family and relatives attended the funeral wearing a full personal protective equipment (PPE) kit.
The veteran politician was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi cantonment on August 10 and underwent surgery for a brain clot. He later developed a lung infection. Prior to the surgery, the veteran politician had tested positive for corona virus.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several political leaders cutting across the party lines paid last respects to Mukherjee at his official residence at 10 Rajaji Marg in the national capital.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and former PM Manmohan Singh were among those visited Mukherjee’s residence to pay floral tributes.
Mukherjee’s body was kept at his official residence in the morning hours to allow dignitaries and others to pay their last respects. His mortal remains were taken from his residence to the Lodhi crematorium for the last rites in a hearse van instead of the gun carriage in view of COVID-19.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his residence and paid their last respects. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too paid his last respects at Pranab Mukherjee’s home.
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.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the chiefs of the three services also paid homage to the former president.e of COVID-19 protocol, the body of the former President was taken for last rites in a hearse van instead of the gun carriage. The funeral took place at the Lodi Road crematorium.
In a statement, the home ministry said as a mark of respect, there would be state mourning throughout India from August 31 to September 6. “During the period of state mourning, the national flag will fly at half-mast on all buildings throughout India, where it is flown regularly, and there will be no official entertainment,” the statement said.
The veteran, widely respected across the spectrum and described as the elder statesman of Indian politics, served as foreign, Defense and finance minister in several governments.
Yesterday, PM Modi posted a photo of him touching Pranab Mukherjee’s feet in reverence. “He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation,” PM Modi said in a series of tweets. “A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society,” he wrote.
India’s 13th President, Pranab Mukherjee was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, in August last year. “My passion has been the service of the people of India,” Pranab Mukherjee, widely known as “Pranab-Da”, said in a speech summing up 50 years in public life when he left the office of president in 2017.
