Thursday, May 4 2006 12:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Scores of BJP workers converged at the Shivaji Park crematorium here where the last rites of senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan would be performed today (May 4, 2006).

The entire area was being cleaned up and devotional songs being sung amidst tight security arrangements by the police as the funeral would be attended by several VVIPs, including Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani.

The last rites of Mahajan, who would be given a state funeral, will be performed at around noon by his son Rahul.

Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy supervised the security arrangements at the crematorium. A heavy security presence was seen with policemen keeping vigil in plain clothes and sniffer dogs pressed into service.

Traffic from Worli to Dadar has been diverted and the movement of vehicles along the Western Express Highway might also be affected. A heavy posse of policemen were posted along the route of the funeral procession from Worli to Dadar.