Shimla: Amid slogans of "Raja Sahib Amar Rahen"(long live Raja Sahib) BJP National President J P Nadda and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid their last respect to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the Congress stalwart, who died here on Thursday after prolonged illness and post Covid complications.
Nadda, who arrived quite early and much before Rahul Gandhi, drove to Shimla's historic Ridge –where the mortal remains were kept for "public Darshan" and laid a wreath on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and himself .
"I have learnt a lot from Virbhadra Singh as I happened to be leader of opposition in 1993, when he was Chief Minister. He was my guide. Though, we belonged to different ideologies but we had mutual respect and sense of same loyalty to the state. Virbhadra Singh ji was a big hearted politician, bold and fighter. Unfortunately he lost his battle to his health," Nadda said after paying his respect.
This was the second time within the past five days when Nadda had reached Shimla only for the sake of Virbhadra Singh.
He recalled "I came five days back to know about his health. I was told he was responding to treatment but now I heard on Thursday about his sad demise. It's a huge loss to the state."
After the Ridge –where hundreds of people came to pay their respect to departed leader, the body was kept at Congress headquarters –Rajiv Bhawan where Rahul Gandhi came and paid his tributes to party's tallest leader, a six-time CM, five-time MP and three-time Union minister.
Rahul Gandhi also held the hand of Vikramaditya Singh, Virbhadra Singhs' son, who is also MLA, and also sat with Pratibha Singh, ex-CM's wife and shared her grief over the loss of a great statesman.
Gandhi, however, did not meet anyone else and even avoided mediapersons waiting for his message.
The mortal remains of Virbhadra Singh have already reached Rampur –his native town and part of erstwhile princely state of Rampur Bushahr, which his forefathers had ruled.
There was an unless queue of the people struggling to pay floral tributes to Virbhadra Singh and the entire route from Shimla to Rampur had several stoppages as people stood in wait to pay their last respect.
The scene at Rampur's Padamdev palace –an ancestral house was heart-rendering as men and women were seen crying in tears and grief over the demise of Virbhadra Singh.
The mortal remains will be consigned to flames with full state honour on Saturday and traditions of the royal family.
Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh –currently called "tikka sahib", will take over the legacy of the family as he will be designated as 'king' of the erstwhile Bushashr state as per rituals and ceremonies of the family–as will, however, it will be a private affair.