The mortal remains of senior BJP leader and union minister Gopinath Munde, who was killed in a road accident in New Delhi Tuesday, were consigned to the flames in Parali-Vaijnath, his birthplace in Beed district, Wednesday afternoon.
His teary-eyed eldest daughter and legislator Pankaja Munde-Palve performed the last rites and lit the funeral pyre as Munde had only three daughters and no son.
Pankaja's action was symbolic and was expected to send positive signals in the Marathwada region which has been regularly in the news for incidents of female foeticide.
A sea of humanity that included many union and state ministers, political leaders from all political parties, BJP activists and locals witnessed the state funeral ceremony accorded to Munde.
The people raised slogans of 'Gopinath Munde Amar Rahe', 'Gopinath Munde Come Back' and 'Gopinath Munde Zindabad' as the funeral ceremonies got underway.
The Maharashtra government has declared a three-day period of state mourning in honour of the departed leader.
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