Ahmed Patel, veteran Congress leader and top advisor to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, was laid to rest on Thursday next to his parents’ graves at his native village Piraman near Bharuch. The last rites were attended by hundreds of Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi.
Also read: Ahmed Patel was the bridge between State Congress leaders and high command
The mortal remains of the Congress party’s chief troubleshooter and strategist were brought to his village in a chartered flight from Delhi late on Wednesday. Patel, a seasoned parliamentarian died in a Gurugram hospital of post COVID-19 complications.
Also read: Ahmed Patel — A quintessential backroom strategist
Mr. Gandhi flew in to Surat on Thursday morning and drove to Piraman to be with the grieving family. Patel was laid to rest after the final ‘namaz’ was offered. As per his wishes, he was buried next to the graves of his parents.
Before he was laid to rest, his body was kept at a hospital in Ankleshwar for the public to pay their tributes. The hospital is run by a charitable trust set up by his family.
Also read: Ahmed Patel, a leader who remained synonymous with Congress for three decades
Besides former party president Rahul Gandhi, other Congress leaders at the funeral included Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Karnataka Congress Chief D.K. Shiva Kumar, and former CM of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath, leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir ranjan Chaudhary.
