Dehradun, Oct 21: The last rites of veteran Congress leader Narayan Dutt Tiwari were performed with full state honours Sunday at the Chitrashala Ghat in Uttarakhand's Nainital district.

His son, Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, lit the funeral pyre at the Chitrashala Ghat on the banks of Gola river in Haldwani.

Scores of people and politicians including Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat paid their last respects to the former chief minister.

Rawat remembered Tiwari as a leader who served the nation for long. He said Tiwari was also the chief minister of the first elected government in Uttarakhand.

"Development was Tiwari's top priority. This is the reason he was hailed as 'Vikas Purush'. He had worked for development rising above politics. His death has left a void in the state and nation," Rawat said.

Tiwari, who served in various positions at the Centre and in states and was even a strong contender for prime ministership in 1991, died on his 93rd birthday at a private hospital in Delhi on Thursday after prolonged illness.

Born on October 18, 1925 in Nainital, he had served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh multiple times, and was the first chief minister of the new hill state of Uttarakhand that was carved out of UP in 2001.

His body was kept at Kathgodam Guest House here for the people to pay their last respects.

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Vijayapura: Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has denied making any derogatory statement about Prophet Muhammad, clarifying that there was a misstatement during his speech at a Ram Navami event in Hubballi. "I did not speak about Prophet Muhammad. I meant to refer to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, but there was a mistake in the speed of speech," he said addressing reporters on Monday.

He alleged that members of the Congress, frustrated by their hooliganism and failure to collect their hafta (extortion) in Vijayapura are using the Prophet as an excuse to speak against me. “There is no culture of denigrating another religion in Hinduism. Our gurus and elders have not taught us that,” he said.

Responding to another controversy involving an audio clip in which he was allegedly threatened, Yatnal said the police are investigating the matter and that those behind it will soon be exposed. “No one can finish me. The Hindus of Karnataka are with me. If someone tries to finish me, the whole state will rise in protest,” he warned.

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