Kolhapur: Soldiers pay tributes to Maratha Light Infantry jawan Kundalik Mane during his cremation ceremony. (PTI)
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today tried to undo the damage done by his government in its handling of the four young soldiers who were killed in a deadly ambush in Kashmir by the Pakistani army.
This evening, upon landing in Patna, Mr Kumar conceded that senior ministers should have received the coffins of the martyrs when they landed in a special plane in Patna on Wednesday.
Earlier today, the chief minister apologized for a minister in his cabinet who asked, "What's so special about the funeral of soldiers? It keeps happening."
That remark was made by Bhim Singh, on a day when the four jawans were cremated with full state honours. Two of the four ministers assigned to represent the government at the funerals arrived late, after the pyres had been lit.
"I apologise and express regret for my colleague's remarks. The whole nation is indebted to the martyrs" said Mr Kumar, who has been derided by the opposition for not flying back to Patna to attend the funerals or visit the affected families. (
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"The people of the country will not forgive or forget (this)," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP, which was evicted from the Bihar government in June after a 17-year partnership was called off by Mr Kumar's party, the Janata Dal United.
The soldiers who were cremated today were members of the 21 Bihar regiment and were ambushed early on Tuesday morning while patrolling near the Line of Control in Poonch in Kashmir.