Tarun Gogoi's cremation on Thursday, body to be taken to temple, mosque, church

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GUWAHATI:

The mortal remains of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will be cremated on Thursday in Guwahati, state Congress chief Ripun Bora said.

Briefing the press at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) where Gogoi breathed last on Monday, Bora said the body will be taken to his official residence at Dispur from the hospital on Tuesday morning.

"The doctors will complete necessary medical formalities in the night to prepare the body for keeping it safe for three days," said Bora, a Rajya Sabha MP.

After that, Gogoi's body will be taken to state secretariat Janata Bhawan where he sat for 15 years as the chief minister, and then to state Congress headquarters Rajiv Bhawan around 3.30 pm.

"His wife Dolly and son Gaurav requested Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to keep his body for one day for the public. As per the family's wish, the government will take the body to the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra complex in Guwahati on Tuesday evening and it will be there for the whole day on November 25," Bora said.

On November 26, Gogoi's last journey will start from Kalakshetra and his cremation will take place in Guwahati instead of his hometown Titabor, he said.

"As per his last wish, the body will be taken to a temple, mosque and church before the last rites," he added.

Bora said many central leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, from the party are likely to visit Assam over the next three days to pay their last respect to Gogoi.

Gogoi died at the age of 84 while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.

He was the chief minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016, a six-time parliamentarian and Union minister twice. (PTI)