The body of former Arunchal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu was on Friday flown to Tawang after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and others paid their last respects at Itanagar.
"Dorjee Khandu was a visionary who dreamt of all round development of Arunachal Pradesh," said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh after paying last respect to the departed chief minister in Itanagar on Friday.
"Dorjee Khandu was a visionary. He had a vision for all-round development of the state and worked tirelessly. We and the people of Arunachal Pradesh will now work to realise the unfinished task and his vision," Singh said after paying his last respects to the departed soul.
"Khandu's death is a great loss for Arunachal Pradesh and the country. May his soul rest in peace," he added.
The PM, Sonia Gandhi and Chidambaram spoke to Khandu's wife Rinchin Drema, his eldest son Pema Khandu, elder brother Goleng Khandu and nephew Jambey Tashi, an member of legislative assembly, before leaving for New Delhi.
Later, the body was flown in an Indiuan Air Force chopper to Khandu's home district Tawang, where the last rites will be performed as per Buddhist rituals on May 11. A state funeral will be accorded to the late chief minister.
Khandu's body was found from the crash site at Luguthang in Tawang district on May 4, five days after his B3 single engine, four-seater helicopter disappeared after being last sighted at the Sela Pass.
The others killed in the crash were the pilots Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawant MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
With additional reportage from PTI
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