Ram Vilas Paswan’s cremation today with full state honours at Patna’s Digha Ghat

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s mortal remains arrived at Patna airport in the early hours of Saturday. The mortal remains of the veteran leader will be cremated today with full state honours.

Several leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey paid their last respects to the leader.

Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan paid a floral tribute to his father at LJP’s office. 

Ram Vilas Paswan was one of the most prominent Dalit leaders of the country who had been a part of several governments headed by rival parties. He died on Thursday at the age of 74. Paswan had long suffered from a heart condition.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet has been convened on Friday to express condolences over the minister’s demise, officials said.

The Union Home Ministry has announced the national flag will fly at half mast in Delhi and capitals of all states and union territories on Friday as a mark of respect to Paswan. A state funeral will also be accorded to the Union minister.

In a statement, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said Paswan was admitted with heart failure and kidney shut down and managed on medication and subsequently by dialysis. He was later put on ventilator and ECMO support for failing heart and lungs and also underwent surgery.

He was a minister in central governments headed by parties of contrasting ideological persuasions, ranging from the Janata Dal to the Congress and the BJP, since 1989. Whoever might be his ally, he took pride in describing himself as a socialist and secular politician by conviction.

He served as a minister in governments headed by V P Singh, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujaral, Atal Bihar Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and now Narendra Modi.