Delhi: Rajnath Singh pays tributes to CDS General Rawat at Brar Square crematorium

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reached Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment and paid tributes to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who died in a military chopper crash on December 8.

Mortal remains of Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, who also died in the crash, were brought in a gun carriage decked with flowers to the Brar Square crematorium for performing the last rites.

Senior officials including Defence Research and Development Organisation chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy, defence attaches of various countries, Ambassador of France in India Emmanuel Lenain and British High Commissioner Alex Ellis also paid their tributes.

People from all walks of life joined the funeral procession as it proceeded towards the crematorium. There were also people along the sides of the road with banners and national flag and raised "Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Bipin ji ka naam rahega" slogan.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Mansukh Mandaviya, Smriti Irani, Narendra Singh Tomar and Sarbananda Sonowal went to the residence of General Bipin Rawat earlier in the day to pay their last respects.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Harish Rawat, BJP chief JP Nadda and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi were among those who laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the CDS Rawat and his wife.

An IAF chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday claimed the lives of 13 people including CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and his defence adviser Brigadier Lidder.

The Army said the mortal remains of only three persons -- General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier Lidder -- had been positively identified so far.
Brigadier Lidder was cremated earlier today.

Other defence forces personnel who died in the chopper crash are CDS Rawat's Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik B. Sai Teja.

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor in the crash, has been shifted to Air Force Command hospital at Bengaluru for further treatment.

The Centre has ordered a 'tri service' inquiry into the accident. The inquiry will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command.

(ANI)