Mahajan cremated with full state honours

The nation bid a tearful farewell to one of the country's promising politicians and BJP's master strategist Pramod Mahajan in the afternoon today as he was cremated here with full state honours in the presence of a galaxy of dignitaries led by vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

The former union minister's son Rahul lit the funeral pyre amidst chanting of vedic hymns. The buglers sounded the last post and Maharashtra police personnel reversed their arms and fired in the air as a mark of respect to the leader.

Slogans such as 'Pramod Mahajan amar rahe' (long live Mahajan) and 'jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Mahajan tera naam rahega' rent the air as the mortal remains of the 57-year old 'gen next' leader of the BJP were consigned to the flames at the Shivaji Park cremation grounds here.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, leaders of opposition in parliament L K Advani and Jaswant Singh, RSS chief K S Sudarshan, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, VHP leader Praveen Togadia, NDA convener George Fernandes, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states, senior BJP leaders, home minister Shivraj Patil, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, civil aviation minister Praful Patel and Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, were present reflecting the late leader's
popularity across the country's political spectrum.

A wreath on behalf of President A P J Abdul Kalam was placed on the casket containing Mahajan's body. Other leaders too offered floral tributes.

Mahajan died yesterday at the Hinduja Hospital here after battling for
life for 12 days. His younger brother had Pravin shot him on April 22 in a fit of rage.