Cong MP Santokh Chaudhary's cremation in native village today; yatra to resume on sombre note

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, January 15

Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, will be cremated at his native Dhaliwal village in Jalandhar district on Sunday.

The 76-year-old two-time MP died on Saturday in Punjab's Phillaur. The yatra was suspended for 24 hours following his death.

Chaudhary fainted while participating in the march. He was rushed to a private hospital in Phagwara where he was declared brought dead.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra will resume on a sombre note from Lyallpur Khalsa College in Jalandhar on Sunday afternoon as a mark of respect for Chaudhary Santokh Singh.

There will be no showering of rose petals or the loud chanting of ‘Bharat Jodo’ slogans. The yatra will pass through the streets without the usual excitement with no music systems at work. Even as bhangra teams had been readied to welcome Rahul Gandhi at Lyallpur Khalsa College, the venue of his scheduled halt, this part has been deleted to make the yatra look plain and simple.

Rahul and all big Congress leaders are scheduled to attend the last rites of the MP at his native Dhaliwal Qadian village. The yatra will start after everyone is back from there.

The plan of Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh to hold a 20-minute hockey match with him and other Olympians at Lyallpur Khalsa College too has been shelved. The big cut outs of Rahul Gandhi and other glitzy posters put up on the route are also likely to be taken off. Leader of Opposition and Congress veteran Partap Bajwa too said: “We will keep it very simple. The mood in the Congress is low but the yatra is to proceed for there are plans lined up and hundreds of national padyatris tagging along”.

Phagwara dropped from yatra route

Phagwara: Though former Congress president Rahul Gandhi returned to Phagwara after expressing condolences to the family members of the deceased MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh in Jalandhar on Saturday, and camping near Konica Resorts, the entire route passing through the city was dropped from the roadmap of Bharat Jodo Yatra. The march was expected to reach Phagwara around 3 pm on Saturday, but the scenario changed with the sudden demise of the MP during the event. 

No bhangra at Lyallpur Khalsa

• No bhangra teams would welcome Rahul at Lyallpur Khalsa College, the venue of his scheduled halt. This part has been deleted to make the yatra look simple
• Even the big cut-outs of the former AICC president and other glitzy posters put up on the yatra route are also likely to be taken off

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