The mortal remains of Speaker G. Karthikeyan, who passed away in Bangalore on Saturday, was consigned to flames at Shantikavadom, Thycaud, on Sunday with full State honours.
The last rites were performed around 7.20 p.m. by his two sons, Ananthapadmanabhan and Sabarinathan, and close relatives at a specially erected pandal as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy; his Cabinet colleagues; Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthananan; former Union Ministers A.K. Antony and Veerappa Moily; and All-India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Kerala Mukul Wasnik looked on.
Earlier in the day, the body was shifted from his official residence ‘Neethi’ to the Member’s lounge at the Legislative Assembly complex for the pubic to pay homage. Deputy Speaker N. Shaktan received the mortal remains.
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Mr. Chandy, Mr. Achuthanandan, Ministers, Legislators, and the personnel of the Legislature Secretariat paid their respects to the departed leader.
Salute
The Watch and Ward gave a salute before the body was shifted to a flower-decked vehicle to be taken to the Secretariat at 9.45 a.m.
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Governor P. Sathasivam and wife, Saraswathy, led the State in paying homage when the body was kept at the Durbar Hall. They were joined by Mr. Chandy, Ministers, Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, top officials, and employees of the Secretariat. Hundreds of people arrived at the Secretariat to pay respects.
The body was then taken to Indira Bhavan, the KPCC headquarters, at Vellayambalam, and then to Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Arayand, in the Aruvikkara constituency which Mr. Karthikeyan represented in the Assembly. The body was then taken to his residence at Sasthamangalam in the evening and later to Shantikavadom around 6.15 p.m. Leaders of the Communist party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, and the Bharatiya Janata Party and prominent figures from the socio-cultural arena were among those who paid homage to the leader.