Thursday, June 23 2005 11:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The mortal remains of senior BJP leader Sunder Singh Bhandari were today (Jun 23, 2005) consigned to flames with full religious rites.

The body of the former Governor who died yesterday (Jun 22, 2005) of a heart attack, was brought to the Nigam Bodh Ghat here from the BJP headquarters where it had been kept in State last evening.

His nephew Shashi lit the pyre amid chanting of religious hymns. Bhandari was a bachelor.

A host of dignitaries, including Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and BJP president L K Advani, were present at the cremation ground.

Chief Ministers Narendra Modi, Arjun Munda and Babulal Gaur, Vishwa Hindu Prashant (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, Arun Jaitely and Ravi Shankar Prasad were also present along with representatives of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and many admirers of former BJP vice president.

The founder member of Jana Sangh had recently created a flutter in the Sangh Parivar by his attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the central leadership on the Post Godhra violence.

Bhandari, who started as a 'Pracharak' in the RSS, was one of those who founded BJP's predecessor Bharatiya Jana Sangh.