Manohar Parrikar laid to rest

Amidst cries of 'Manohar bhai amar rahe' and 'vande mataram', senior BJP leader and four-time Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar was laid to rest on Monday.

Parrikar (63), who is also a former defence minister, passed away at his private residence at Dona Paula, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

As the cortege - a flower-decked military truck - carried the tricolour-draped mortal remains of Parrikar from his private residence to BJP state headquarters to Kala Academy and then to Miramar beach, several people were seen breaking down.

Chants of 'Bharat mata ki jai', 'vande mataram' and 'Manohar bhai amar rahe', 'jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Manohar Parrikar tera naam rahega' rent the air - as people paid tributes to the 'people's leader' and the 'common man CM'.

Many people were seen sobbing and saying - 'bhai, bhai...bhai, bhai'.

A host of VVIPs including prime minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, textile minister Smriti Irani and Maharashtra chief minister

Devendra Fadnavis airdashed to Goa to pay tributes to Parrikar.

Amidst full military honours and chanting of Vedic hymns, his mortal remains were consigned to flames.

Rifle shots were fired in the air by uniformed personnel - according a state funeral to him.

Family members including Utpal and Abhijat were present. His wife, Medha, predeceased him - she passed away in 2000 of cancer.

Utpal lit the funeral pyre - as India joined Goa in bidding a tearful adieu to Parrikar. Contingents of army, navy and police sounded the Last Post and reversed their rifles.

In the state capital of Panjim and elsewhere in the tiny coastal state, shops and establishment downed their shutters as roads wore a deserted look.