The mortal remains of former Chief Minister of Odisha and Assam Governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik were consigned to the flames at Swargadwar in Puri with full military and State honours at around 8 pm on Wednesday. Pruthvi Ballabh Patnaik, lone son of JB, lit the funeral pyre in the presence of a galaxy of political leaders, intellectuals and party supporters at Swargadwar.
School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy and Puri MlA Maheswar Mohanty were present on behalf of the State Government. leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary BK Hariprasad, PCC president Prasad Harichandan and leader of Opposition in Assembly Narasingha Mishra, among many other party, Central and State leaders, attended.
Earlier in the day, the body of Patnaik was taken out in a procession from his residence in the city to Congress Bhawan where the party workers and leaders paid floral tribute to their departed leader. The body was also taken to the State Assembly where many MlAs, including Speaker Niranjan Pujari, offered floral tribute. From there, the mortal remains were taken to his native village Rameswar near Khordha. From Rameswar village, the body was taken to Puri via New Jagannath Sadak and Chandanpur for cremation at Swargadwara.
On behalf of the party supremo Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi senior Congress leader and AICC member Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday morning arrived at the residence of JB and offered tribute to the veteran leader. Azad also met Jayanti Patnaik, widow of the departed leader, and handed over the condolence message of Sonia Gandhi to her.