Kritika and Tarini, daughters of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat, look on during the cremation of their parents at Brar Square crematorium, in New Delhi, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. (PTI Photo)The nation on Friday bid farewell to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat as he was laid to rest with full military honours at Brar Square crematorium in Delhi cantonment. As per protocol, General Rawat was accorded a 17-gun salute at his funeral where 800 service personnel were in attendance. His daughters Kritika and Tarini performed Rawat and his wife Madhulika’s last rites.
General Rawat, along with his wife and 11 armed forces personnel, died in an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
Several political leaders such as Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, among others, paid tributes to the CDS and his wife.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Friday laid wreaths on the mortal remains of Brigadier Lidder, the only other person to have been positively identified so far by the Army besides Gen Rawat and his wife after the crash. He was laid to rest at the Brar Square with full military honours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airbase. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)
The nation on Friday bid farewell to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat as he was laid to rest with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium in Delhi on cantonment. As per protocol, General Rawat was accorded a 17-gun salute at his funeral where 800 service personnel were in attendance.
The mortal remains of CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat brought to Brar Square crematorium, Delhi Cantonment.
People raise slogans -- "Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Bipin ji ka naam rahega", as the cortège of CDS General Bipin Rawat proceeds towards Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment.
The funeral procession of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat has left from his residence. He will cremated at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment. A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.
Brigadier Lidder, who was laid to rest at the Brar Square in Delhi on Friday is survived by his wife, Geetika and a sixteen-year-old daughter, Aashna.
"We must give him a good farewell, a smiling send-off, I am a soldier's wife. It's a big loss," his wife said while speaking to ANI.
Among other political leaders and ministers, farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait reached the residence of CDS Bipin Rawat to pay his respects.
Senior Military Commanders from neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan have arrived in New Delhi to attend the final farewell of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat.
These include:
The three service chiefs - Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar paid tribute to the CDS at his residence in Delhi.
On Wednesday morning, para commando Lance Naik Vivek Kumar (28) called up his wife Priyanka to enquire about their six-month-old son. He chatted for a while, heard his son gurgle and, before hanging up, told his wife that he was going to Karnataka with General Sahib.
Since being informed of her husband’s death in Wednesday’s helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, Priyanka has been in shock. “She is unable to process the news,” her father-in-law Ramesh Chand says. Vivek’s mother Asha Devi is inconsolable. She breaks into loud wails as locals pour into their house in Thathera Thehedu village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra to condole the death of the young man. Read more
CJI NV Ramana paid his last respects to Gen Bipin Rawat at his residence in Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath paid his last respects to Gen Bipin Rawat at his residence in Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has arrived at Gen Bipin Rawat's residence to pay his last respects.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar paid homage to the CDS.
The hearse van to carry General Bipin Rawat's mortal remains to the cremation ground in Delhi Cantt has reached his residence. He will be cremated at the Brar Square with full military honours. He will be accorded a 17-gun salute, as per laid down protocols.
Several leaders reached General Bipin Rawat's residence in Delhi to pay last respects to the CDS and his wife.
Several people have gathered outside CDS Bipin Rawat's residence in Delhi. However, public will not be allowed inside.
The Indian Air Force has constituted a tri-service Court of Inquiry to probe into the helicopter crash that left 13 people, including CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife, dead. The IAF urged everyone to avoid "uninformed speculation" about the incident.
Some of the 12 suspended Rajya Sabha MPs, including Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and TMC's Dola Sen, who have been protesting at the Parliament complex, have reached General Rawat's residence to pay their respects.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Former Army Chief VK Singh and Union Minister Smriti Irani also reached the residence in Delhi.
General Bipin Rawat will be laid to rest at the Brar Square cremation ground. A Ceremonial Battery of 2233 Field Regiment will provide gun carriage. As many as 99 all-ranks from the Army, Navy and Air force and 33 members of the tri-services band will form the front escort while 99 all-ranks from the three services will act as the Rear Escort.
A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.
The CDS is being accorded a 17 gun salute, as per laid down protocols. Post the playing of the Last Post and Rouse by the tri-services buglers, the funeral pyre will be lit by family members.
General Bipin Rawat’s mortal remains have been laid in state at his official residence, 3 Kamraj Marg, from 11 am to 1.30 pm to enable people to pay last homage.
A total of 12 officers (from the Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Brigadier and equivalent are on Vigil Duty to maintain continuous vigil over the mortal remains while it is laid in state. Six officers (two each from the Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Lieutenant General equivalent will be the Pall (National Flag) Bearers.
Several people reached CDS Bipin Rawat's official residence in Delhi to pay their respects to the General and his wife Madhulika Rawat. People raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Gen Rawat amar rahe', and 'Uttarakhand ka heera amar rahe' outside his residence, PTI reported.
Police had to bring in barricades to manage the crowd outside General Rawat's residence. (Express Photo)
Brigadier Lidder's 16-year-old daughter, Aashna, on Friday said, "My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined and better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator."
"I am going to be 17. So he was with me for 17 years, we will go ahead with happy memories. It's a national loss," she added.
Lidder is survived by his daughter and wife, Geetika. He was laid to rest with full military honours on Friday in Delhi.
Brigadier Lidder's wife, Geetika, on Friday said, "We must give him a good farewell, a smiling send-off, I am a soldier's wife. It's a big loss."
Brig Lidder was laid to rest in Delhi with full military honours.
Earlier in the day, Haryana CM M L Khattar paid his last respects to Brigadier Lidder and offered his condelences to his wife, Geetika, at the Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment.
DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi paid tributes to CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat. Earlier, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and former Defence Minister AK Antony also laid wreaths on the deceased couple.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with several other political leaders paid tributes to CDS General Bipin Rawat and wife Madhulika Rawat at their residence on Friday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also seen offering his condolences to the daughters of General Bipin Rawat.
CDS General Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat are survived by their daughters Kritika and Tarini.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat at their residence in Delhi on Friday.
Several leaders laid wreaths on the mortal remains of CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, including Delhi L-G Anil Baijal and NSA Ajit Doval.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday paid tribute to CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.
"Gen Rawat was the epitome of bravery and courage. It was very unfortunate to lose him so early. His commitment towards the motherland will forever remain in our memories," he later tweeted.
Senior Congress leader Harish Singh Rawat paid his last respects to CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami laid a wreath on the mortal remains of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on Friday in Delhi.
Gen Bipin Rawat, who once served as the General Officer Commanding of the 19 Infantry Division in Baramulla, had a deep connection with the people of Kashmir, perhaps more than any other Army officer, said a top Army commander in the Valley.
Lt Gen D P Pandey, who visited Baramulla on Thursday to attend a condolence meeting organised by the Army, said: “The amount of love, the connection that he had with the people of Uri, people of Baramulla and especially the people of Kashmir, I don’t think anybody, any army man had.” Read more
Brigadier Lidder was laid to rest on Friday with full military honours in Delhi. He's survived by his wife and daughter.
Home Minister Amit Shah paid his last respects to the mortal remains of CDS Bipin Rawat at his residence in Delhi.
The mortal remains of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were brought to their residence in Delhi.
Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, one of those killed in the IAF helicopter crash on Wednesday, was a second generation Army officer with roots in Panchkula, Haryana. He had been on the staff of General Bipin Rawat for more than a year now. He had commanded the Second Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
Brig Lidder had been approved for the rank of Major General and would have shortly left the staff of General Rawat to serve as the General officer Commanding of a Division.
The son of a retired Brigadier, Lidder had also commanded a Brigade on the Himachal border with Tibet. He later attended the prestigious course at National Defence College, New Delhi. Lidder would often write on military matters. This September, he wrote an article titled ‘China’s counter space capabilities’ for the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. Read more
Fondly called Tony by his friends, Brigadier LS Lidder was married to Geetika, an educator. His 16-year-old daughter has written a book, In Search of a Title, which was launched on November 28, among others, by Madhulika Rawat and former Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to Brig LS Lidder at Brar Square, Delhi Cantt. NSA Ajit Doval, too, paid his respects to the Brigadier who lost his life in the helicopter crash in Coonoor along with CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife and others.
The three service chiefs - Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari paid tribute to Brig LS Lidder at Brar Square.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday paid tributre to Brig LS Lidder at Brar Square.
The mortal remains of Brig LS Lidder, who lost his life in the helicopter crash along with Gen Bipin Rawat and others, have been brought to Brar Square, Delhi Cantt, where the last rites will be held.
Belonging to a family of military officers and one of the most celebrated soldiers of his time, General Bipin Rawat took over as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on January 1, 2020 – the first to occupy the post that made him the country’s foremost military officer. Since his youth he was known for two things the most, the ability to come up with ideas, and not being shy to express them.
As CDS, he ranked above the other four-star military officers heading the Navy, Air Force and Army, headed the Department of Military Affairs in the Defence Ministry, carving out responsibilities that were with the Department of Defence till then, and was the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all matters related to the forces. Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid his last respects to General Bipin Rawat and others who had passed away in a helicopter crash in Coonoor.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat will be cremated at Brar Square, Delhi Cantt at around 9.30 today, ANI reported.