NEW DELHI: A military aircraft carrying the mortal remains of CDS General Bipin Rawat and twelve others arrived at the Palam airport on Thursday evening.
Among those who paid the departed their last respects were PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval and the Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force, the Navy and the Army.
Heart-wrenching scenes were seen at the airport as 13 caskets were lined up inside a hangar in presence of family members.
Only four bodies have been identified thus far – those of General Rawat and his wife Madhulika, Brigadier LS Lidder and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar. Their mortal remains will be released to the families for last rites. The others will be kept at the Army Base Hospital till the identification process is complete.
From 11 am till 12.30 pm on Friday the mortal remains of the CDS and his wife will be laid in state at their Delhi residence for family, friends, and the public to pay their homage. The funeral procession will begin at 2 pm and the last rites are scheduled for 4 pm at the Brar Square Crematorium, where Brigadier Lidder's funeral would have taken place at 9 am.
Among other foreign dignitaries, the Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander of Sri Lanka, Gen Shavendra Silva, is expected to attend the last rites of the CDS.
Earlier in the day, the Defence Minister called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him about the crash. The President is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.
As the nation mourns the demise, the question of who will succeed General Rawat is doing the rounds. Army Chief Gen MM Naravane is seen to be the frontrunner for the top post; incidentally, he is retiring in five months. One factor that may swing it his way is his handling of the eastern Ladakh standoff. The other name being discussed is that of former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retired). As per the rules, any Commanding officers or flag officers of the armed forces are eligible for the position.
The government is expected to draw up a small panel comprising senior commanders from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The panel will shortlist the names and send them to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for approval. Following Singh’s nod, the names will be sent for consideration by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The tenure of General Rawat as CDS was till March 2023. The retirement age for the CDS is 65 years, while the service chiefs stay in office till they are 62 or for three years, whichever is earlier.
There has been a view in an influential section of military planners that the Chief of Defence Staff should be from the Army, at least till the ambitious theaterisation process is complete.
But if Gen Naravane is appointed the CDS, then the government will also simultaneously have to look for his replacement.
In that case, Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen CP Mohanty and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Y K Joshi will be the front-runners for the post. Top sources had told News18 that the post of CDS will be filled in the next seven to ten days.
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed Parliament about the demise of the CDS and the circumstances in which the crash took place.
Condolence messages have come from the US, China, Nepal, the UK, Russia, Australia, France, Israel, and Japan.
