Thousands of people from Bidar, Kalaburagi and other parts of Hyderabad Karnataka region paid last respects to their beloved leader N. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister, on Thursday night and Friday morning.
The body of Dharam Singh, who passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Thursday morning, was brought in a special flight to Bidar airbase the same evening and kept outside the airbase for about two hours so that people could pay their respects. Party workers and general public thronged the airbase to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader.
The body, wrapped with a tricolour, was then brought to Kalaburagi by road. The vehicle carrying the body was stopped on various points enroute on demand to allow public and party workers to pay their respects. People had gathered in large numbers in major towns such as Hallikedh, Humnabad, Kamalapur, Mahagaon Cross and others. The mortal remains reached Kalaburagi at about 1 a.m. on Friday and was kept at Mr. Singh’s residence at Sharan Nagar in the city, before being shifted to Nutan Vidyalaya (NV) grounds by 6 a.m.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and Mr. Singh’s friend for five decades M. Mallikarjun Kharge and his wife Radhabai were with Dharam Singh’s wife Prabhavathi and family since early Friday morning. At a point, Mr. Kharge, Ms. Prabhavathi and Ajay Singh, Dharam Singh’s younger son and Jewargi MLA, were inconsolable.
Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister U.T. Khader, former minister Baburao Chinchanasur, Ms. Singh’s long-time associate from Maharashtra Shantappa Metri, heads of various Mutts and religious institutions and others visited N.V. Grounds and paid their last respects to Mr. Singh. Murugharajendra Swamy of Jidaga Mutt in Aland taluk, to which Mr. Singh was a staunch follower, had rushed to Bengaluru on Thursday upon hearing the news of Mr. Singh’s demise. He again visited N.V. Grounds to pay homage on Friday morning.
Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, Information Technology & Bio Technology and Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge, Mr. Singh close associate and former MLC Allamprabhu Patil camped at N.V. Grounds, making arrangements for public and the funeral.
Regional Commissioner Harsh Gupta, Inspector General of Police (North Eastern Range) Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, Superintendent of Police N. Shashikumar and other officials were present.
According to sources, the body would first be taken to Jewargi, the home town of Mr. Singh and kept there for two hours. It would then be taken to Mr. Singh’s residence in Jewargi for about an hour. The body would be cremated at Dharam Singh’s farm at Nelogi village with State honours after completing last rites as per Rajput traditions.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his Cabinet colleagues, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Digvijay Singh and others are expected to attend the funeral.
