Ram Vilas Paswan died Thursday in a Delhi hospital; he was 74 years old
Patna:
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had a state funeral and cremated at Janardhan Ghat in Patna this afternoon, with his son and LJP leader Chirag Paswan performing the final rites. Mr Paswan, 74, died Thursday evening in a Delhi hospital where he had previously undergone heart surgery. The next day (Friday), flags in Delhi and across the country flew at half mast in respect.
Images shared by ANI news agency showed massive crowds gathered at the ghat and cremation site, attended by top BJP leaders – including Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad – the chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
Each of the three main figures placed wreaths on the coffin bearing Mr. Paswan’s body. Earlier today, hundreds of people gathered in the streets to pay their respects to the veteran politician as he made his final trip home.
“Ram Vilasji was not just a ruler of Bihar … he was a national leader, a leader of the people. He came from an ordinary family but became a member of parliament for Lok Sabha nine times and a member of Rajya Sabha twice. . We are deeply saddened by his death, ”Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also from Patna, said today.
“I met his family. He left too early,” said Mr. Prasad, who is in town to attend Mr. Paswan’s funeral, describing him as “the voice of the neglected”.
Ram Vilas Paswan’s death was announced by his son, Chirag Paswan, who must now overcome the loss of his father at the head of the LJP in the Bihar Assembly elections which begin in less than 20 days.
Chirag Paswan posted a photo of himself as a young boy in his father’s arms with this message: “Daddy … Now you are not in this world but I know you are always with me wherever you are . I miss you dad”.
The tributes paid to Mr. Paswan, widely hailed as someone who has managed to maintain friendly relations even with opposition political leaders, have been swift and numerous.
“I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that may never be filled. The passing of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, a valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate about ensuring all the poor. person leads a dignified life, ”Prime Minister Modi said.
President Ram Nath Kovind also tweeted and Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi hailed Paswan as “a strong voice for the poor and the oppressed”.
A powerful Dalit leader of Bihar, Mr. Paswan was one of those leaders – along with Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar – who were inspired and nurtured by the JP movement in the 1970s.
Known as one of the great survivors of Indian politics, Mr. Paswan has served as a minister in almost every central government formed since 1989 and has served six prime ministers, starting with Vice President Singh. Within the PM Modi firm, he was in charge of the Consumer, Food and Public Distribution portfolios.
