Kathmandu, October 14

Nepali Congress leader Chakra Prasad Bastola, who died last night, was cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat today.

Deceased NC leader’s wife Kusum and his nephew Nabin lit his funeral pyre at Pashupati Aryaghat. Bastola’s final rites were performed in the evening today after his younger daughter Garima returned home from London.

The mortal remains of the NC leader was kept at the party headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitpur, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm for well-wishers and ordinary citizens to pay homage to the leader. NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi, General Secretary Shashank Koirala, senior leader Ramchandra Paudel and other Central Committee members were among those who paid homage to Bastola.

NCP (NCP) leader Jhala Nath Khanal and his party colleague Ghanshyam Bhusal also paid tribute to the departed soul.

Bastola breathed his last at around 10:20 pm on Saturday at his residence in Khumaltar, Lalitpur. Chakra Prasad Bastola was 72.

An emergency meeting of the CWC held at the party headquarters condoled the death of leader Bastola. NC decided to postpone its programme scheduled for today to submit memorandums to CDOs in all 77 districts.

According to NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi, the CWC decided to fly the party’s flag at half-mast for three days and cancel all its scheduled programmes.

The CWC meeting decided to close the party offices tomorrow and to immerse the ashes of Bastola’s mortal remains in the Kankai River in Jhapa tomorrow. The NC will organise a tea party on the occasion festivals on November 2 instead of October 24, which had been decided earlier. The NC also decided to hold a condolence meeting after 13 days.

Bastola had suffered brain haemorrhage on 29 December 2012 while attending a programme organized by the Bastola Clan in Morang district. He remained comatose ever since.

Bastola had joined the NC during his college days in Banaras. He went to jail for three years for the cause of democracy. Chakra Prasad Bastola had served as the minister of foreign affairs,

READ ALSO:

• NC leader Bastola’s last rites to be performed today evening