Tearful adieu to J B Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, Apr 22: Thousands of people today gave a tearful farewell to former Odisha Chief Minister J B Patnaik as his body was taken out in a procession in the city.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, officials, academicians, students and journalists were among those who walked in the procession when Patnaik's mortal remains were taken to the Odisha Assembly premises and Congress Bhavan.

Odisha Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress, Parliamentary Affairs Minister B K Arukh and many MLAs offered floral tributes to the leader who passed away at the wee hours of yesterday at Tirupati.

The body was taken to Patnaik's native village Rameswar near Khurda from where it would go to Swargadwar in Puri for final rites. While offering tributes to Patnaik, AICC member Ghulam Nabi Azad said the death of Patnaik was a great loss to the party.

Azad, who arrived at J B Patnaik's residence in the city here this morning, said he had come to attend the funeral on behalf of party supremo Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi. Azad met Jayanti Patnaik, wife of the departed leader, and handed over the condolence message of Sonia Gandhi to her.

PTI