KATHMANDU, AUGUST 21

Nepali Congress leader Pradip Giri was cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat today with state honours. His son Santosh Silwal Giri and nephews Pranayan Giri and Sandarbha Giri lit the funeral pyre. A band of Nepal Police offered a gun salute to the departed soul.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wrapped the party's flag on the body of the departed leader. Top NC leaders were among those present at the cremation ground.

Earlier, key political leaders had gone to the NC headquarters to pay homage to the departed soul.

The NC has decided to mourn Giri's death for 13 days. The party held its central working committee meeting and decided to hoist the party flag at half-mast for three days as a sign of mourning.

According to a press release issued by the NC, the party will keep condolence books at the party headquarters and district chapters to let people express their final homage to Giri.

The party will also hold condolence assemblies on the 13th day of Giri's death. Until then, the party will not hold any formal event, except for condolences and mourning.

Key political leaders, including CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN (Unified Socialist) Party Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepal Samajwadi Party Chair Baburam Bhattarai and Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota had reached the party headquarters in Sanepa to pay homage to Giri.

Earlier, CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal told mediapersons at the NC headquarters that the demise of Giri had caused huge loss for Nepal's political and social transformation.

'He was a socialist thinker with a special talent. He worked to transform Nepali society. His intellectual personality and his capacity to make logical arguments will always inspire us all,' he added.

Chair of CPN (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal said moving the country ahead in a positive way by ensuring good governance would be a true tribute to Giri.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 22, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.