S C Shukla passes away
THE MORTAL remains of veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh, Shyamacharan Shukla, were consigned to flames here at the Mahadeo Ghat crematorium in the presence of a huge gathering of prominent personalities and host of political leaders, including chief ministers and union ministers.
THE MORTAL remains of veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh, Shyamacharan Shukla, were consigned to flames here at the Mahadeo Ghat crematorium in the presence of a huge gathering of prominent personalities and host of political leaders, including chief ministers and union ministers.
The police accorded a gun salute to the ‘prince charming’ who piloted Madhya Pradesh destiny for six years. Shukla breathed his last in a private hospital here after protracted illness during the wee hours of Wednesday. He was 82 and is survived by his wife, a son and three daughters.
The state funeral at the Mahadeo Ghat in Raipur was attended by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, AICC national treasurer Motilal Vora, Rajya Sabha member Mohsina Kidwai, senior state Congress leaders, office-bearers of Pradesh Congress Committee and party frontal organisations.
Chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chhattisgarh chief minister Dr Raman Singh and his cabinet colleagues, leader of opposition in Madhya Pradesh Jamuna Devi were also present. His son and former minister Amitesh Shukla lit the pyre.
Thousands of his followers who were present witnessed a contingent of state police according a gun salute to the departed leader amidst the plaintive bugle notes of ‘The Last Post’.
Earlier during the day, the mortal remains of the Shukla were taken to Rajiv Lochan Temple in Rajim, his constituency, and were later brought to Congress Bhawan in the state capital where a large number of party workers and people paid their last respect.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Amitesh Shukla told that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and several Union ministers and senior Congress leaders conveyed their condolence on phone. Chhattisgarh Governor E S L Narasimhan also expressed his grief over the demise.
The Chhattisgarh government has declared one-day state mourning on Wednesday. Shukla, who was suffering from prostrate cancer, was also being treated here for severe chest infection from the last ten days. Dr Abbas Naqvi, who was closely monitoring Shukla’s condition, told the Hindustan Times that the ailing leader’s health started deteriorating at around 11 pm on Tuesday.
“The health of the ailing Congress leader deteriorated and he developed irregular rhythm of heartbeats followed by cardiac respiratory arrest”, Naqvi said. Shyama Charan Shukla was brought to Raipur by air ambulance about ten days back from Delhi where he was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital.
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