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'The end of an era'

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL DEC. 28. The former Bharatiya Janata Party president, Kushabhau Thakre's demise has come as a blow to the BJP leaders and party workers who have been associated with him for a long time in Madhya Pradesh.

A pall of gloom descended on the State BJP headquarters this evening when the carriage carrying the body of the BJP leader was brought there in a procession from the airport.

The BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, was at the tarmac along with the State Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, the former BJP president, Bangaru Laxman, and other dignitaries, when Mr. Thakre's body landed at the Bhopal airport at 4.40 p.m.

A large number of people paid homage to the departed leader at the State BJP office at Peer Gate.

Mr. Thakre's last journey would commence from the BJP headquarters tomorrow at 11 a.m. According to BJP sources, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, would attend the funeral.

Expressing grief, Ms. Bharti said that an era had come to an end with Kushabhau Thakre's demise. His passing away was an irreparable loss, she said adding that he had played an important role in the progress of the BJP and more particularly in bringing the party to its present stature.

The Assembly Speaker, Ishwardas Rohani, said Mr. Thakre had set very high standards in terms of political ethics.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said in a message that "Mr. Thakre's sparkling character, self-effacing personality and affable temperament endeared him to one and all. Throughout his life, he only gave but took nothing. He made Ministers, Chief Ministers, parliamentarians but never coveted anything for himself. His small stint as an M.P. by contesting a by-election from Khandwa was also because of a specific direction from the erstwhile Janata Party president, Chandra Shekhar."

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