Congress leader Gurudas Kamat cremated with state honours in Mumbai

Mumbai: Senior Congress leader Gurudas Kamat was cremated on Thursday in suburban Chembur with full state honours in the presence of several dignitaries and a huge number of supporters.

Kamat, 63, a five-time Lok Sabha MP and a former Union minister, died of a heart attack in New Delhi on Wednesday and his body was brought to his residence in Chembur to allow people to pay their last respects.

Kamat's body was wrapped in the tricolour and was taken to the crematorium in the suburb in a flower-bedecked vehicle.

His son Sunil lighted the pyre and a police contingent gave the departed leader a gun salute.

Several people present there were seen breaking down.

Among those who paid tribute to Kamat were Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state minister Vinod Tawde, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, former chief minister Narayan Rane, BJP leader Ashish Shelar and former Union minister Mukul Wasnik.

It also included BJP leader Krishna Hegde, Congress leader Naseem Khan, former CM Ashok Chavan, Samajwadi Pary MLA Abu Asim Azmi, Congress MLA Aslam Sheikh, Maharashtra minister Prakash Mehta, MLC Bhai Jagtap, Congress MLA Amin Patel apart from party workers.

While some of these leaders paid their respects at Kamat's Chembur residence, others were present at the crematorium.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said that the party wanted Kamat's body to be brought to its city headquarters near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation head office in south Mumbai but the departed leader's family members turned down the request.

"We respected the sentiments of the family," Nirupam told PTI.