Gen Bipin Rawat’s Cremation: Last rites of Brigadier Lakhwinder Singh Lidder, defence assistant to General Rawat, were held today
New Delhi: Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat and his significant other, who were killed in a chopper crash, will be incinerated with full military distinctions today. Hundreds arranged roads as the truck conveying the final resting places advanced toward Delhi’s Brar crematorium.
Here are 10 points on this big story
- Key faces in the government and politicians cutting across party lines paid tributes to General Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat at their 3, Kamraj Marg residence today.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami were among those who reached the Rawats’ home to pay respects.
- The Army has said the public can pay their tributes between 10 am and 1.30 am today, following which the bodies will be taken to the Brar crematorium.
- Elaborate arrangements have been made for the funeral procession of General Rawat, the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff and a former Army Chief.
- A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.
- The Chief of Defence Staff will be accorded a 17 gun salute as per laid down protocols.
- Senior military commanders from Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh have arrived in New Delhi to attend General Rawat’s funeral.
- General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu Wednesday.
- The bodies of General Rawat, his wife and the defence personnel killed in the crash were flown in from Sulur in Tamil Nadu last night.
- On their arrival at Palam air base in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top officials of the defence services paid them tributes.