Aligarh, Aug 23: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, who passed away on August 21, will be cremated at the Bansighat on the banks of holy Ganga river in Narora in Bulandshahr district on Monday. The 89-year-old senior BJP leader and the architect of Ram Janambhoomi movement, died at the SGPGIMS due to sepsis and multi organ failure after 48 days of hospitalization. Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Pushkar Singh Dhami will be present during the last rites, today. Senior BJP leader Uma Bharati along with UP Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also pay their last respects. At 1000 hrs, the Kalyan Singh’s body would be taken to Atrauli PWD guest house where the family members and people of his Madhauli village will pay their last respect. Atrauli is around 26 Km from Aligarh and the body would be taken on a flower decked truck so that people on the way could have darshan of their departed leader. All the VVIPs including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and others are most likely to join the funeral at Atrauli. From Atrauli, the funeral procession will head towards Narora at around 1300 hours and it will take around 2 hours to cover around 27 Km to reach the Bansi ghat. The cremation is slated to be held at around 1530 hours. Around 20 priests would perform the last rites which will include bathing of the mortal remains with Ganga water. The pyre would be of 21 Kg of Chandan woods, said a priest, who would be performing the rituals. Due to incessant rains in Narora, authorities have erected temporary structure for the VVIPs and others. The state government had announced a three days state mourning and has declared Monday as a public holiday. Yesterday, the mortal remains were taken to the UP assembly and state BJP office from the residence of Kalyan Singh before reaching Aligarh where it was kept at the Ahiliya Bai Holkar stadium for people to have darshan.
