The mortal remains of former Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Singh Judeo who died on August 14 was consigned to flames on Friday with full State honours and amid presence of dignitaries and hordes of his supporters. His last journey started from his Jashpur located residence Vijay Vihar Palace even as thousands of sobbing supporters and followers converged from every nook and corner of Jashpur and its surrounding areas lined the route to pay tearful adieu to their beloved leader before he was cremated on the bank of River Banki. His son Yudhbir lit the pyre.
Notably, Dilip Singh Judeo, known for his daring personality in Chhattisgarh politics and ‘the Ghar Vapsi Abhiyan’ on the front of social work, breathed his last at Medanta Super Speciality Hospital, Gurgaon Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness. He was suffering from some intestinal ailment. His body was brought to Jashpur on Thursday by airplane. A pal of gloom descended on Jashpur after his body reached his native place.
His body was kept for public view for a day at his residence Vijay Vihar Palace.
BJP National president Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP president of MP Narendra Singh Tomar, Rajya Sabha Member Prabhat Jha and others reached Jashpur to pay tribute to the departed leader and laid wreaths on his body.
In fact people had started gathering at his Palace from Thursday itself. leaders of BJP, Congress, other political parties as well as commoners from all corners of Jashpur accompanied even by their minor children converged at Vijay Vihar Palace to have a last view of the departed leader. His body was kept in a glass box and his supporters were seen sobbing keeping their heads on the box. On Friday, too, people started paying tribute to Judeo from 6 in morning as entire Jashpur observed spontaneous bandh to bid adieu to the leader who was very popular among his supporters.
BJP National general secretary and state in-charge J P Nadda, Saudan Singh, chief minister Dr Raman Singh, ministers of Raman Cabinet Brajmohan Agrawal, Ramvichar Netam, Nankiram Kanwar, Vikram Usendi, lata Usendi, Dayaldas Baghel, Chandrashekhar Sahu, Amar Agrawal, BJP state chief Ramsevak Paikra, General Secretary Rampratap Singh, Nand Kumar Sai, Sohan Potai, Premprakash Pandey, Kedar Kashyap, Chhagan Mudra and others also reached there to participate in his last journey.
Around noon Friday his funeral procession started from Vijay Vihar Palace with his body kept in a vehicle accompanied by his son Yudhvir and minister of Culture Brijmohan Agrawal besides others. At this time rain also started lashing the area but failed to deter the spirit of supporters of the departed leader as they lined up the route showering flower petals on his body amid chants of ‘Jai Judeo’ and ‘Judeo Amar Rahe’. Finally, the procession reached the embankment of Banki River where his son and Parliamentary secretary Yudhvir lit the pyre.