BHUBANESWAR: People from all walks of life, including his supporters, leaders from Opposition political parties, academics, journalists and students bade a tearful adieu to former Odisha Chief Minister J B Patnaik.
The body of the veteran Congress leader and former governor of Assam was taken out in a procession from his Forest Park residence here at 11 am.
As scheduled, the body of JB was taken to Congress Bhawan where the party workers and leaders from across the state paid their last respects to their departed leader. After a brief halt at the state Congress headquarters, the vehicle carrying the body of Patnaik proceeded to Assembly where Speaker Niranjan Pujari, several BJD legislators, including Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, former minister S N Patro, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Government chief whip Anant Das, Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik and Purna Chandra Sethy paid homage to the departed soul. Assembly Secretary Amiya Kumar Sarangi and several staff also paid floral tribute to Patnaik .
From Assembly, the body of the Congress leader was taken to his native village Rameswar near Khurda and later to Puri for his last rites at Swargadwara.