The former Uttarakhand chief minister and the former Union minister B. C. Khanduri was laid to rest in Kharkhari crematorium in Haridwar on Wednesday with pomp and formality as political leaders, senior officials, Army officials and hundreds of citizens attended the cremation ceremony.
Major General Khanduri, a retired officer of the Indian Army, who was revered for his clean public image, discipline and honesty, died on Tuesday in Dehradun at the age of 91. The last rites were performed by his son, Manish Khanduri, and the Army and police personnel performed ceremonial guard of honour.
His daughter, Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, who is the Speaker of the Uttarakhand Assembly, described her father as a man who “brought military discipline and integrity to public life”.
The Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former chief Ministers Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Vijay Bahuguna, Tirath Singh Rawat, a number of MPs, ministers, saints and BJP leaders attended the funeral.
Tribute to Khanduri, Dhami calls death “irrepairable loss to state and nation. In his time in the Army, Union government and Uttarakhand politics, he had established a high code of transparency and administrative discipline, he said.
Khattar also lauded Khanduri for his simple approach to life and his steadfast dedication to public service, noting that his efforts towards governance reforms and honest politics would continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations in the country.