BOMBAY, 5 May 2006 — Thousands of mourners bid a tearful farewell yesterday to India’s most dynamic Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, who was cremated with state honors in the presence of a galaxy of dignitaries led by the country’s Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekawat yesterday.
Cutting across party lines and social strata, hundreds of thousands of people attended the funeral at the Shivaji Park cremation grounds.
Amid the chanting of mantras and blowing of police bugles, Mahajan’s son Rahul lit the pyre of the former central minister, who succumbed Wednesday to the bullet injuries inflicted by his youngest brother, Pravin.
Mahajan, 56, leaves behind his wife Rekha, son Rahul and daughter Poonam.
The funeral procession of Mahajan, who many political analysts rated as prime ministerial material, began around noon from his residence in central Bombay. The coffin, wrapped in the national flag, was placed on a flower-bedecked truck.
A visibly shattered BJP President Rajnath Singh and son Rahul carried the coffin on their shoulders, along with state police personnel, on the last leg of the politician’s journey.
Braving sultry summer noon, hundreds of thousands lined the nearly 10-km route of the funeral procession to bid an emotional adieu to the master political strategist, who rose from a humble background to become a national leader.
People flung marigold garlands on Mahajan’s cortege. Some were even seen perched on treetops along the funeral route to get a better view.
Rahul sat atop the truck flanked by Mahajan’s close friend and brother-in-law Gopinath Munde and BJP’s Rajnath Singh, who broke down while paying his respects to his party colleague.
Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Gov. S.M. Krishna were among those who attended the funeral ceremony.
The central government was represented by senior ministers like Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.
RSS Chief K. S. Sudarshan, VHP firebrand leader Praveen Togadia, NDA Convener George Fernandes also attended. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Chief Ministers of all BJP-ruled states including Gujarat’s Narendra Modi paid their respects.
Earlier, politicians, celebrities and common people alike swarmed Mahajan’s residence to pay their last respects. Poignant scenes were witnessed when the body was brought there. Mahajan’s octogenarian mother Prabhavati was inconsolable. Other family members wept.
Besides Advani and Rajnath, political heavyweights like Arun Jaitley, Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackarey and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh went to the Mahajan home before the cremation.
Industrialists like Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal, Reliance Industries’ Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani and Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group head Anil Ambani to represented the business section.
Bollywood personalities Hema Malini, Poonam Dhillon, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashok Pandit, Janmorcha President Raj Babbar were among the people who paid homage to the departed leader.
People from different walks of life also made a beeline to catch a final glimpse of the man who was shot from point blank range by his brother Pravin at his residence April 22.
While the police asked Pravin’s family not to attend the funeral due to security reasons, Pramod Mahajan’s other brother Prakash has been with the politician’s family for the last few days.
Massive security arrangements were made by Bombay Police around the Mahajan home to control the swelling crowds. At times, police fought pitched battles with the crowd that wanted to catch a closer glimpse of the leader.
Describing Mahajan’s death as a personal loss, Vajpayee said that no one can replace the departed leader. “Pramod was someone who got things done. He delivered on everything that was entrusted to him. He was quick, dedicated, and he worked hard,” Vajpayee said.
Recollecting the capabilities of Mahajan, the former prime minister said: “ I asked him to help me with my first Independence Day address. I was impressed with the draft he had prepared for me.”
