FINAL JOURNEY OF BHATTARAI BEGINS

FUNERAL PROCESSION OF KRISHNA PRASAD BHATTARAI BEGINS

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 6 March: The funeral procession Krishna Pasad Bhattarai moved towards PashupatinathAryaghat Sunday afternoon at two from Dashrath Ranghashala for cremation.
The body was taken to the national stadium Sunday morning from his ashram in the morning for public viewing..
Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal draped Bhattarai’s body with the national flag and President Dr Ram Baran Yadav went othestadium to pay tribute.
Hundreds of thousands of people paid their last farewell to Bhattarai at the stadium.
Dr Yadav, a party colleague of Bhattarai, lauded the ’financial discipline’ of the two-time prime minister while holding high office.
The president said he came to the stadium to pay respect to a statesman on behalf of 30 million Nepalis.
Bhattarai died Friday night.
He was 87. .
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets at Tripuresh, Bir Hospital, Bagh Bazzzar, Dilli Bazzar, Puano Banshwor in a disciplined manner to bid farewell to bid adieu to Kishunji who was a firm advocate of multi-party democracy and constitutional democracy.
A sea of humanity followed an open truck on which Bhattarai’s body was place; NC party flag and flags the party’s fraternal orgaizations fluttered atop the truck on which party leaders, including Sher Bahadur Deuba were seated.
Bhattarai supported the Deuba faction of the country’s oldest party when it split from the Girija Koirala faction.
A sea of humanity followed the truck to Pshupatinath.
People shouted slogans Long Live Kishuniji. Long Live His Ideals.
Pramod Bhattarai, nephew and son of Gopal Bhattarai, elder brother of Kishunji, will light the funeral pyre.
Bhattarai was a bachelor.
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