Kalpataru Das cremated with full state honours

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Jul 26, 2015 at 6:05 PM Updated On : Jul 27, 2015 at 2:31 AM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jajpur, Jul 26:

The mortal remains of senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member were consigned to flames at his native village Bhotaka in Odisha’s Jajpur district this afternoon with full state honours.

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Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and others paying their last respects to Rajya Sabha MP Kalpataru Das, who passed away in Delhi yesterday, at his Bhubaneswar residence this morning. (OST Photo) — Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and others paying their last respects to Rajya Sabha MP Kalpataru Das, who passed away in Delhi yesterday, at his Bhubaneswar residence this morning.
(OST Photo)

The funeral pyre was lit by Das’s eldest son Pranab Kumar Balabantaray.

The body of Das arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the Odisha capital from New Delhi this morning.

It was first taken to the BJD state party office where several party leaders and workers had a last glimpse of the departed soul.

From the BJD office, the body was taken to Das’s residence in Bhubaneswar where chief minister Naveen Patnaik laid wreaths on the mortal remains.

The body, before leaving for Bhotaka village, was taken to the State Assembly where it was given a Guard of Honour.

Afflicted wiht cancer, Das was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on July 20. But his condition began to deteriorate and he passed away on Saturday afternoon.

Several political leaders including yhe chief minister have deeply condoled the untimely death of Das.