‘Will not make it to father’s funeral,’ says Yogi Adityanath, stresses on lockdown

india

Updated: Apr 20, 2020 19:39 IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s father Anand Bisht died on Monday morning and will be cremated in Haridwar at a funeral ritual, which his son will not be able to attend due to the nationwide lockdown in place.

“I will not be participating in the funeral program on April 21 due to the lockdown and the strategy in place to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. This is an appeal to all the members of Purvashram that the least number of people should attend the funeral program and continue to follow the lockdown,” Adityanath said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

“I had a great desire to see my father at the last minute, but I could not see him because of my duty to pursue the country’s fight against the global coronavirus pandemic in the interest of 23 crore people of Uttar Pradesh,” the Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.

Bisht, 89, was admitted to the gastroenterology department of the AIIMS after his health deteriorated. His condition was critical for sometime.

He died at 10.44 am, according to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi.

Bisht’s last rites will take place in Haridwar in Uttarakhand on April 21, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister Mrityunjay Kumar said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, when news of his father’s demise reached him, Adityanath continued with a meeting with state government officials.

Adityanath also appealed to his mother and acquaintances to follow lockdown norms and urged only a small number of people to attend his father’s last rites.