Prayagraj (UP), Apr 10 (PTI) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday immersed the ashes of his father Debendra Pradhan at the Triveni Sangam -- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers -- amid the chanting of Vedic hymns.
Uttar Pradesh minister Rakesh Sachan, who attended the ash immersion ritual, told reporters, "Today, Dharmendra Pradhan Ji and his brother immersed the ashes of their father Debendra Pradhan Ji in the holy Sangam."
State ministers, MPs and legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gathered at the Sangam to attend the solemn ceremony, he added.
"Debendra Pradhan was a senior BJP leader who served as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government," Sachan said.
Highlighting Debendra Pradhan's contributions to the party's growth in Odisha, Sachan said, "The seeds sown by him in Odisha have grown into a flourishing tree today. His efforts contributed to the BJP forming the government in Odisha after the Assembly polls in 2024. Though he is no longer with us, his son Dharmendra Pradhan continues to serve the nation as the education minister."
Among those who attended the ash immersion ritual were Uttar Pradesh minister Nand Gopal Gupta, Phulpur MP Praveen Patel, and Allahabad North MLA Harshvardhan Bajpai, among others.