Congress heavyweight and former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla, who succumbed to Maoists’ bullets, was consigned to flames with full State honours on Wednesday at his sprawling farmhouse in Raipur in the presence of a galaxy of top personalities of several States, mainly from Madhya Pradesh and his home State Chhattisgarh.
Shukla’s grandson (daughter’s son) Vinayak Pandey lit the funeral pyre amid emotional scenes and slogans - ‘Vidya Bhaiya Jindabad -- by dozens of his ardent supporters at around 4 pm at a rectangular platform which VC Shukla had built about a year ago and instructed his close aides to cremate him on the platform.
Union Minister of State for Home RPN Singh, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Congress general secretaries Digvijay Singh and BK Hariprasad flew from Delhi and joined in Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt, Chief Minister Raman Singh and several BJP leaders and bureaucrats at Shukla’s farmhouse, Radheshyam Bhawan, to witness the last rites of a great seasoned politician of India who first elected to lok Sabha at the age of just 28.
Shukla who had spent roughly 60 years in active politics and represented Congress nine times in lok Sabha, died at the age of 84 on Tuesday at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon after battling for life for 17 days. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
He had received multiple bullet shots on May 25 when Maoists hit a Congress convoy in restive Bastar region with explosions and gun shots.
The Maoist attack had wiped out several key figures of the State’s Opposition Congress, including State unit chief Nand Kumar Patel and Mahendra Karma. The tribal leader Karma was former Minister in Ajit
Jogi-led Government and architect of anti-Maoist movement Salwa Judum.The anger and protest against Maoists for carrying out May 25 massacre of Congress leaders and workers in which 30 persons have succumbed till date, were seen in capital Raipur on Wednesday as people extended full support to a shutdown call given by the Raipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a mark of respect to VC Shukla.
Shukla’s last journey began from the State Congress headquarters, Gandhi Bhawan, and it passed through the bustling Malviya Road and then city’s crowded areas such as Jai Stambh Chowk, Bhagat Singh Square and Telibandha to reach his farmhouse.
Hundreds of supporters and Congress persons were seen lined up at Gandhi Bhawan starting from 9 am to pay last respects to the personality who is credited for always fighting for cause of Chhattisgarhias.
