NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, NOV 25
The body of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was taken to Ankleshwar in Bharuch district of Gujarat on Wednesday where it will be kept at a hospital for night before his funeral in his native village Piraman on Thursday morning, party leaders said.
.@INCIndia के वरिष्ठ नेता @INCGujarat के आधारस्तंभ @ahmedpatel जी के पार्थिव देह को गुजरात की धरती पर गुजरात कांग्रेस के प्रभारी @SATAVRAJEEV जी सहित वरिष्ठ नेता गण द्वारा पुष्पांजलि अर्पण। pic.twitter.com/s2p06E1q8Y
— Amit Chavda (@AmitChavdaINC) November 25, 2020
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will pay his last respects to Patel in Piraman village on Thursday morning, Congress in-charge for Gujarat Rajeev Satav told reporters.
આપણા સૌના પથદર્શક અહમદભાઈ પટેલ સાહેબે ચીર વિદાય લીધી છે.
કોરોના મહામારીની માર્ગદર્શિકાનું આપણે કડક પાલન કરી શ્રદ્ધાંજલિ આપવા રૂબરૂ જવાનું ટાળીયે
જીલ્લા/તાલુકા સમિતિ ખાતે સદગતના આત્માને પ્રભુ શાંતિ અર્પે અને સૌને આ આઘાત સહન કરવાની શક્તિ આપે,એવી સામૂહિક પ્રાર્થના કરીએ.#AhmedPatel pic.twitter.com/fwiBqJsTgh— Gujarat Congress (@INCGujarat) November 25, 2020
The mortal remains of Patel were brought to Vadodara by air in the evening and were taken to Ankleshwar in an ambulance by road, leaders said.
The body will be kept at a hospital in Ankleshwar in the night. It will be taken to Piraman village in morning for the funeral, a party leader said.
अहमद पटेल का निधन भारतीय राजनीति के एक अध्याय की समाप्ति है।
हर एक राजनीतिक दल और विचारधारा में सम्मान ने उन्हें 'अहमद भाई' बनाया।
विपरीत परिस्थितियों में भी कांग्रेस की विचारधारा के प्रति उनके समर्पण और निष्ठा से आने वाली पीढ़ियों को मार्गदर्शन मिलेगा। pic.twitter.com/mKXmZOUASb— Congress (@INCIndia) November 25, 2020
Patel (71), the top strategist and troubleshooter of the Congress party, died in a Gurugram hospital in the early hours of Wednesday following complications related to COVID- 19.
Many senior leaders of Gujarat Congress turned up at Vadodara airport to pay their last respects to Patel late evening.
“Ahmed Patel who played a big role in giving a direction to the Congress is no more with us. It is a great loss to the Congress party as well as for Gujarat and the rest of the country. He worked on all posts of the All India Congress Committee. He knew every worker by his name. Whenever we faced any issue, we would go to him for guidance,” said Satav.
He said Rahul Gandhi will reach Patel’s native village to pay his last respects on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress leader Paresh Dhanani appealed to the party workers to offer prayers for the departed leader at their homes rather than rushing to attend the funeral.
Dhanani asked party supporters to adhere to the government’s COVID-19 guidelines voluntarily and not gather in large number for the funeral.
Stalin condoles Ahmed Patel’s death
DMK president M K Stalin on Wednesday condoled the death of senior Congress leader and the party’s top strategist Ahmed Patel and said he was a lynchpin of the national party. Stalin, also the Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed grief over the demise of the 71-year-old leader in New Delhi.
“Extremely saddened to hear of the passing away of Mr Ahmed Patel, who was a lynchpin of the Indian National Congress,” Stalin said in a Facebook post.
“On behalf of the DMK, I extend my condolences to his family as well as the Congress cadre who are mourning the loss,” he added.