J&K CM Mufti Sayeed laid to rest in home town Bijbehara; thousands bid farewell
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, was laid to rest in hometown Bijbehara, 45-km south of summer capital Srinagar, with full state honours on Thursday evening.
Sayeed who passed away in Delhi’s AIIMS where he was being treated for a lung infection for two weeks early Thursday morning was buried in the town’s Dara Shikoh Bagh, the garden laid by Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Emperor Shah Jehan, in early 17th century. It is situated on a side of Bijbehara-Pahalgam road on the banks of river Jhelum and has avenues of Chinar and cypress trees.
Sayeed’s mortal remains draped in Tricolour and J&K’s state flag earlier arrived at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Fairview’ at Gupkar overlooking the Dal Lake in Srinagar where ‘Ghusl Mayyit (washing the dead body) and shrouding it were done.
Besides Sayeed’s daughter and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, wife Gulshan Nazir Ara and some other family members, Opposition National Conference (NC) president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad accompanied the body flown in an IAF plane from Delhi. They were soon joined by Governor N.N.Vora and a battery of politicians from different mainstream political parties besides ministers in the PDP-BJP coalition government to pay last respects to Sayeed.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also reached ‘Fairview’ to condole the demise Sayeed’s demise. He was accompanied by MoS in PMO, Dr Jitender Singh, and senior Army commanders.
Sayeed’s nimaz-e-jinaza was offered within a furlong away at Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium before the mortal remains were taken to Bijbehara. The funeral prayer was led by Sayeed’s long time associate and PDP chief spokesman and state’s education minister Naeem Akhtar. A ceremonial Guard-of-Honour was also given as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
Before being air lifted to Srinagar, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, accompanied by several Cabinet colleagues, arrived at the New Delhi Airport and laid wreath on the mortal remains of the departed leader. He met the Chief Minister’s daughter and PDP resident, Mehbooba Mufti, who was by the side of her father for the last 14 days, and offered condolences.
In the evening, thousands of mourners-many of them in tears- who had congregated at his birth place paid last respects to their leader, and offered funeral prayers after which he was buried in the Dara Shikoh Bagh.
The state has declared seven-day mourning as a mark of respect to the departed leader. All State government offices and educational institutions in the State remained closed on Thursday. The tricolour and the State flag will be flown at half-mast during the period of mourning on all buildings and places where these are flown.
Sayeed had taken over as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for a second term on March 1, 2015. He was flown to Delhi two days after he had complained of exhaustion during his hectic tour of Srinagar city on December 22. Hecontinued to be on antibiotics, anti-fungal drugs and supportive therapy at the AIIMS’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before being put on ventilator a couple of days before the end came.
Born on January 12, 1936, Sayeed, had an illustrious political career, that culminated when he became the Chief Minister of the state for the first time in 2002. He was sworn in for the second time as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir at the head of PDO-BJP coalition government on March 1, 2015. He had also earlier served as Union Home and Tourism Minister.
“Seen as a visionary leader, a smart political strategist and masterful politician, Sayeed’s arrival on the stage in J&K in 2002 and his deft handling of the delicate political equations resulted in an almost instant change in the situation, both within the State and in the regional context,” a statement issued by the state government said.
Sayeed’s daughter and PDP president Ms. Mufti is being sworn in as the State’s new chief minister after she emerged as the unanimous choice for the post following the death of the incumbent. She will be the first woman chief minister of the State.
Earlier reports had said that 56-year-old Ms. Mufti is disinclined to take over as the chief minister till Rasm-e-Qul or customary 4th day ceremony of her deceased father is over. She has been explained that there is a constitutional hitch in delaying the appointment of a new chief minister.
