Former president Pranab Mukherjee was cremated with full state honours at the Lodhi road electric crematorium in the national capital on Tuesday afternoon.
His son Abhijit Mukherjee performed his last rites. Mukherjee's family, friends and relatives paid their last respects clad in PPE kits while conforming to COVID-19 safeguards.
An Army contingent gave a guard of honour and a gun salute to the former president.
The mortal remains of Mukherjee were brought to the crematorium in a flower-bedecked vehicle. His body was clad in the tricolour.
Earlier, a host of political leaders from various parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their last respects to Mukherjee. “Paid tributes to respected Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He would be remembered by generations for his efforts towards India’s progress,” tweeted PM Modi after paying tribute to the former president.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, BJP president J.P. Nadda, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, and
three chiefs of services, also paid tribute to Mukherjee.
The Union cabinet, which observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the late leader, said in a statement: "The cabinet expresses profound sorrow at the sad demise of Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India. In his passing away, the country has lost a distinguished leader and an outstanding parliamentarian."
Mukherjee (84) died on Monday evening at the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi cantonment following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments.
He was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and was operated the same day for removal of a clot in the brain. He had also tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of his admission. The former president later developed a lung infection.
(With PTI inputs)
