Jaishankar pays last respects to CDS General Rawat
Dec 10, 2021
New Delhi [India], December 10 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid tribute to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who lost his life in the IAF chopper crash.
CDS Rawat was among the 13 people who died in the military helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday.
Envoys and military attaches of different countries on Friday also paid their last respects to CDS Rawat. Several political leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Harish Singh Rawat, BJP chief JP Nadda and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, among others, paid their last respects to the CDS and his wife Madhulika Rawat.
Also, religious leaders held a multi-faith prayer as they paid their last respects to the CDS and his wife.
The last rites of General Rawat will be performed later in the day with full military honours. The funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg and reach Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment.
An IAF chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor 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 10 defence forces personnel who died in the chopper crash are 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.
