BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government declared a two-day state mourning following the death of Rajya Sabha member from state and union minister of environment Anil Madhav Dave on Thursday.
According to an official statement by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, the mourning will be observed on Thursday and Friday.
Anil Madhav Dave’s mortal remains will be flown to Bhopal in the evening before being kept for paying tributes at the state BJP headquarters. It will later be taken to his official residence, Nadi ka Ghar, in Bhopal.
The Rajya Sabha member and union minister’s last rites will take place at Bandrabhan in adjoining Hoshangabad district on Friday morning, where Dave's NGO organised the biennial river festival.
Earlier on Thursday, Indore district collector P Narhari met Anil Madhav Dave's kin at their house in Indore, where his family members told him that Dave wished to have his last rites near river Narmada in Bandrabhan.
Mourning Dave's death, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described him as a close friend and an elder brother whose loss will be irreparable. Dubbing Dave's death as a personal loss to him, Chouhan recounted his recent stay in MP on May 8 and 9, when he had participated in discussions to chalk out an action plan to save river Narmada as part of the Narmada Seva Yatra.
Several ministerial colleagues of Chouhan, including public relations minister Dr Narottam Mishra, minister of forests Dr Gaurishankar Shejwar, minister of panchayat and rural development Gopal Bhargava, minister of higher education Jaibhan Singh Pavaiya, besides former CM and ex-home minister Babulal Gaur also expressed condolences on Dave's sudden death. State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan also mourned the loss.
The opposition Congress' state president Arun Yadav also condoled Dave's death, describing him as soft-spoken politician and skilled political organiser."Even in the era of polluted politics, Dave focused on ethical and value based politics," said Yadav in a media statement.
Lok Sabha member from Guna and Congress' chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Jyotiraditya Scindia termed Dave's death as loss of an excellent environmentalist and a seasoned political leader.