Leaf art with General Bipin Rawat’s portrait goes viral on the internet

Among the many tributes pouring in for India’s first-ever Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, a leaf art featuring India’s seniormost military official got the internet talking. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, actor Anupam Kher, Mahindra Group boss and Padma awardee Anand Mahindra and IPS officer HGS Dhaliwal shared this one-of-a-kind tribute by a Karnataka-based artist named Sandesh Adkar.

Civilians and army personnel paid their last respects on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying tributes to General Rawat. “Paid my last respects to General Bipin Rawat, his wife and other personnel of the Armed Forces. India will never forget their rich contribution,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has appealed against any kind of speculation around the chopper crash in Tamil Nadu that killed General Bipin Rawat and 12 others. “IAF has constituted a tri-service Court of inquiry to investigate the cause of the tragic helicopter accident on 08 Dec 21. The inquiry would be completed expeditiously and facts brought out. Till then, to respect the dignity of the deceased, uninformed speculation may be avoided,” the IAF tweeted.

Last rites of General Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat are on and the cremation is expected to take place around 3 pm. General Rawat’s unit 5/11 Gorkha Rifles is looking after all the arrangements for the last rites. General Rawat and his wife are survived by their two daughters- Kritika and Tarini, their sons-in-law and their grandchildren in the immediate family.

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