Family decides to cremate Dharam at Nelogi

People from Nelogi and Sonna villages in Jewargi taluk on Thursday staged a protest at the Sonna Cross on Kalaburagi-Vijayapur National Highway, demanding former chief minister N Dharam Singh’s body be cremated at his native Nelogi village.

The protesters burnt tyres and sat on a dharna. Following the protest, vehicular movement was affected on the highway.

Singh’s family had decided to hold the cremation on the premises of the family-owned Aryan School in Naganahalli on the outskirts of Kalaburagi city. Accordingly, the district administration started readying the land for the purpose and pressed earth movers into service.

Speaking to reporters, District in-charge minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil said Singh’s family members, however, changed their decision and now the cremation will be held at the family-owned farm at Nelogi.

He said Singh’s body arrived at the Bidar airbase on Thursday night. It will be brought to Kalaburagi by road at around 11.30 pm on Thursday and kept for public viewing at N V Grounds from 6 am to 11 am on Friday. Dignitaries, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will pay homage. The body will be later taken to Jewargi where it will be kept for public viewing at the taluk stadium. In the afternoon, the body will be shifted to Nelogi where after a brief public viewing, the cremation will be conducted around 5 pm with full state honours.