my uttarakhand news Bureau
Haridwar, 20 May: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and former Union Minister Maj Gen (Retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri was cremated with full state and military honours at Kharkhari cremation ground in Haridwar today amid an outpouring of grief and emotion. A massive crowd had gathered during the final journey of the veteran leader as people from all sections of society reached Haridwar to pay their last respects to the former Chief Minister, who was widely regarded as a symbol of honesty, discipline and clean public life.
The final rites of Khanduri were performed with full state honours as Army and police personnel presented a guard of honour and offered the final salute to the departed leader. His son Manish Khanduri lit the funeral pyre and completed the last rites amid emotional scenes at the cremation ground.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former Maharashtra Governor and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, former Chief Ministers Vijay Bahuguna, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Tirath Singh Rawat, MPs Anil Baluni and Ajay Bhatt, Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta, BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ajaey Kumar, Cabinet Ministers Subodh Uniyal, Satpal Maharaj, Dhan Singh Rawat, Ganesh Joshi, Saurabh Bahuguna, Madan Kaushik, Pradeep Batra and Khajan Das, along with the MLAs, the sages and the public representatives were among those present during the final rites ceremony.
Paying tribute to the departed soul, CM Dhami described Khanduri’s demise as an irreparable loss for both Uttarakhand and the country. He said the late leader had always guided the younger generation of political leaders and would continue to remain a source of inspiration. Dhami said Khanduri served the Army, the Union Government and Uttarakhand with complete transparency, discipline and dedication and added that his absence would always be felt as that of a guardian figure.
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Khanduri’s life was an example of simplicity, honesty and discipline. He said the veteran leader fulfilled every responsibility entrusted to him with utmost sincerity, whether as an Army officer, Chief Minister or Union Minister. Khattar said Khanduri’s contribution towards good governance and important reforms such as strengthening accountability and transparency in public life would always be remembered across the country.
Former Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari said Khanduri represented integrity, discipline and development-oriented politics and that the ideals set by him would continue to benefit society for generations. MP Anil Baluni recalled Khanduri’s contribution to the country’s infrastructure and road connectivity, saying the network of roads developed during his tenure and projects such as the Golden Quadrilateral would remain among his enduring contributions to national development.
Earlier, throughout the final journey, thousands of people had lined the route to bid farewell to the former CM with folded hands and moist eyes. Emotional scenes were witnessed at the cremation ground as political leaders, former servicemen, BJP workers and common citizens joined together in paying tribute to one of Uttarakhand’s most respected political figures.
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