Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday attended the last rites of former state CM Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri in Haridwar. He rushed back to Dehradun cutting short his Chhattisgarh visit to pay his respect to the senior BJP leader.
Dhami was attending the Central Zonal Council meeting in Bastar on Tuesday, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, when he received news of Khanduri’s demise. After reaching Dehradun, the Chief Minister went directly to Khanduri’s residence in Basant Vihar. There, he paid floral tributes to the late leader and met members of the bereaved family to offer condolences.
Remembering General Khanduri’s contribution to Uttarakhand and public life, Dhami announced a three-day state mourning period. He also declared a one-day public holiday and instructed officials to ensure that the final rites were conducted with full police honours.
On Wednesday morning, the Chief Minister again visited the residence of the former Chief Minister. Visibly emotional, Dhami paid his respects and also joined the funeral procession by shouldering the mortal remains.
Dhami pays tributes to Khanduri at party headquarters
The procession later moved to the BJP headquarters before the final rites were performed in Haridwar. Throughout the day, the Chief Minister remained present at the ceremonies and appeared grief-stricken while bidding farewell to the senior BJP leader and former Army officer.
“Paid floral tributes to the mortal remains of the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, the esteemed Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (Retd.) ji, at the BJP State Office, Dehradun. The revered Khanduri ji made significant contributions to the service of Mother India while in the army. Thereafter, he chose the path of public service through the Bharatiya Janata Party, making national interest and social service his life's mission. His disciplined life, simple personality, and dedication to public welfare will forever remain an inspiration to us all,” Dhami posted on X.
“His passing is an irreparable loss to the BJP family. His fearlessness, sharp leadership abilities, and unwavering commitment to principles in political and public life will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for us all,” he added.
BC Khanduri is survived by his wife, Aruna; son, Manish Khanduri; and daughter, Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, who is the MLA from Kotdwar and currently serves as Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.