Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has
expressed shock and grief at the passing away of Bhagwat Jha
Azad in New Delhi early Tuesday.
Azad was chief minister of the state between February
14, 1988 and March 10, 1989, and had also been a Lok Sabha
member.
"In his death Bihar has lost a great leader," Kumar
said declaring a two-day state mourning from today.
Kumar spoke to the sons of the late leader and conveyed
his grief. One of them is Kirti Jha Azad, BJP MP.
Azad's ashes would be immersed in the Ganga at Kahalgaon
in Bhagalpur district on October 12 with full state honours,
he said.
S Siddhartha, secretary to the chief minister went to
Azad's residence here and placed the wreath on his body on
behalf of Kumar, official sources told agency.
Several Congress leaders, including former chief
minister Jagannath Mishra, state party chief Choudhary
Mehboob Ali Kaiser, Youth Congress president Lallan Kumar,
former speaker Sadanand Singh, also condoled his death.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 13:44