Tearful farewell to R.R. Patil

A sea of humanity descended upon the village of Anjani in Maharashtra Tuesday and bid a tearful adieu to former deputy chief minister Raosaheb Ramrao Patil here.

Patil, 57, a former state home minister, who passed away Monday after a battle with oral cancer, was cremated with full state honours and given a 21-gun salute.

The state government earlier declared Tuesday a day of official mourning.

Home minister during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the soft-spoken Patil is survived by his mother Bhagirathi, wife Suman and three children Smita, Supriya and Rohit.

In an unusual gesture, Patil's three children lit the funeral pyre jointly and went around the pyre.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, crusader Anna Hazare, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare, Supriya Sule, Nawab Malik, Jitendra Awhad, senior Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan, Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, Patangrao Kadam, retired IPS officer-turned-politician Vikram Bokey, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Raosaheb Danve and several current cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and legislators attended the funeral.

Political leaders paid glowing tributes to Patil before the funeral and consoled the bereaved family members.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale and other personalities also paid glowing tributes to Patil.