Kalaburagi: The mortal remains of former Chief Minister, N Dharam Singh were consigned to the flames amidst the chanting of vedic hymns at his farm in Nelogi village, Jewargi taluk here on Friday.
His eldest son and MLC, Vijay Singh, performed the last rites in accordance with Hindu-Rajput traditions and lit the pyre in the presence of a large number of mourners, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, leader of the Congress group in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary, K C Venugopal, former AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, former Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, several ministers and and mathadhipathis of various mutts in the district.
The police fired three volleys each into the air as a mark of respect to the departed leader. Scores of people from Mr Singh's taluk of Jewargi arrived to pay their last respects.
Earlier the body, which was brought from Bidar past midnight Thursday, was kept for public viewing at the NV Grounds till Friday noon.
Mr Kharge, who arrived Friday morning by a special helicopter from Hyderabad, was inconsolable. One of Mr Singh's closest friends, he told the media he had lost a brother. "I never had brothers or sisters. He was my only brother. Today, with his loss, I don't know what to say," he said, revealing that he last spoke to him on his birthday five days ago. "He called me early on the morning of July 21 to wish me on my 75th birthday and insisted that he would come and visit me despite his ailments," he recalled tearfully.
Jewargi shut down in mourning with shops and other commercial establishments remaining closed since Thursday afternoon as a mark of respect to Mr Singh.
Meanwhile, well known freedom fighter and former legislator, Vidyadhar Guruji, who is 105, was returning home after attending Mr Singh's funeral when he suffered a heart attack. He was rushed to the Jayadeva Hospital here, where he is recovering.
