BHUBANESWAR: Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday condoled the death of Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika and other armed forces personnel in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
In his condolence message, the Governor said he is deeply saddened to learn about the demise of CDS Rawat, his wife and 13 others in the extremely unfortunate helicopter crash. “Rawat’s untimely death is an irreplaceable loss to the nation,” he added.
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Taking to Twitter, the Chief Minister said, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife & 11 other Defence personnel in a very tragic accident in Tamil Nadu. It is an irreparable loss to the nation.” He expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery of the injured.
Expressing his grief, Pradhan tweeted, “A decorated general, Rawat served the armed forces with distinction and passion. His demise is a loss for the country. My sincerest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Also, praying for the earliest recovery of Group Capt Varun Singh, who is currently undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.”
In a tweet, Union Railways Minister Vishnaw said, “Pained by the demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Rawat & other armed forces personnel in an unfortunate accident today. Om Shanti.”