Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday attended the funeral of former Chief Minister Major General (Retd.) Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri, hours after cutting short his official visit to Chhattisgarh following news of the veteran leader’s demise.
Khanduri, a senior BJP leader and former Union minister, passed away on Tuesday, triggering an outpouring of tributes from political leaders across the country.
According to officials, Dhami was in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, for the Central Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah when he received information about Khanduri’s death. The Chief Minister immediately departed for Dehradun and reached the residence of the late leader in Basant Vihar soon after arriving in the state capital.
Dhami paid floral tributes to Khanduri and met family members to express condolences.
In recognition of Khanduri’s contribution to Uttarakhand and public life, the state government announced three days of state mourning. Dhami also directed a one-day public holiday and instructed officials to ensure that the final rites were conducted with full police honours.
On Wednesday morning, the Chief Minister revisited Khanduri’s residence and joined the funeral procession. Witnesses described Dhami as visibly emotional during the ceremonies. He also shouldered the mortal remains as part of the final journey.
The procession later reached the BJP headquarters, where party workers and senior leaders paid homage to the former Chief Minister before the cortege proceeded to Haridwar for the last rites.
Dhami accompanied the procession and attended the funeral in Haridwar.
Khanduri was regarded as one of Uttarakhand’s most respected political figures and was known for his disciplined administrative approach and clean image in public life. Apart from serving as Uttarakhand Chief Minister, he also held key portfolios in the Union government and had a distinguished background in the armed forces.
Political leaders from across parties have condoled his demise, describing him as a leader committed to public service and development. His passing is being seen as the end of an important chapter in Uttarakhand politics.
The state government’s decision to accord police honours and declare mourning reflected Khanduri’s stature in Uttarakhand’s political and administrative history.
