New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the residence of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh and paid respects to the war hero.


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He drove straight to Singh's residence in the national capital on his return from a day-long visit to Gujarat.


The PM also wrote a message of condolence and interacted with Singh's family members.


"My tributes to the brave soldier who had a fighter's qualities of valour and courtesy. His life was dedicated to Mother India," he wrote in Gujarati.


Meanwhile, earlier President Ram Nath Kovind led the nation in paying final tributes to the hero of 1965 India-Pakistan war and the only Air Force officer to be promoted to five-star rank.


Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid a wreath on behalf of herself and PM Modi, who was in Gujarat earlier today for the inauguration of Sardar Sarovar Dam.


The three service chiefs - Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat - as well as Minister of State Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Puri were also present.


Among other dignitaries who were seen streaming in were Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, MoS for External Affairs and former Army chief VK Singh, former defence minister AK Antony and Congress MP Karan Singh.


Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chiefs SP Tyagi, NC Suri and Anil Y Tipnis, as well as several decorated officers who served under Arjan Singh during the 1965 war, were also present.


98-year-old Singh breathed his last at an Army hospital on Saturday.







(With PTI inputs)