Bheemanna Khandre laid to rest with state honours

Veteran Congress leader, freedom fighter and former Minister Bheemanna Khandre was laid to rest with State honours at Bhalki town in Bidar district on Saturday. Thousands of people, including religious heads, public representatives and leaders cutting across party lines, gathered to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

Mr. Khandre, who passed away due to age-related ailments, was buried beside the grave of his wife at the family’s agricultural land, ‘Shantidham’, on the outskirts of Bhalki town. His son, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, performed the last rites in accordance with family traditions, in the presence of religious heads from various parts of the State. His grandson, Bidar Lok Sabha member Sagar Khandre, and other family members were present.

Floral tributes

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar paid floral tributes and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. A large number of Cabinet Ministers, legislators and senior bureaucrats attended the funeral and recalled Mr. Khandre’s long and eventful public life.

From Saturday morning, the mortal remains of the departed leader were kept for public viewing at the family residence in the Gandhi Gunj area of Bhalki, where people from different walks of life gathered to pay their last respects to the leader. In the evening, the body was taken in a procession through the main junctions of town before reaching ‘Shantidham’ farm on Chikal Chand Road for the final rites.

As a mark of respect, markets and most of the commercial establishments across Bhalki town remained closed for the day. People from different parts of Bidar district and neighbouring regions participated in the funeral, many of them recalling Mr. Khandre’s role in championing the causes of farmers, backward communities and the overall development of the Kalyana Karnataka region.

Among those present were Ministers Priyank Kharge, Sharan Prakash Patil, M.B. Patil, Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, K.J. George and Rahim Khan, besides senior leaders from various political parties, who paid homage and described Mr. Khandre as a towering mass leader with deep grassroots connections.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Mr. Eshwar Khandre over the phone and conveyed his deep grief over the demise of veteran leader Bheemanna Khandre. Mr. Kharge expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and recalled the late leader’s long public life and contribution to the Congress party and the development of the region.

Elaborate security arrangements were made to manage the large gathering, and the district administration coordinated the proceedings to ensure the smooth conduct of the funeral.