BSF trooper cremated in native Sonepat village

GUN SALUTE Thousands pay their last respects to head constable brutally killed by Pakistani forces, family demands retaliatory action

KARNAL: The mortal remains of BSF trooper Narender Kumar were consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village Thana Kalan in Sonepat district on Thursday.

A large number of people, especially youths, started gathering at the village since early morning to pay their last respects to Narender, the head constable of 176 Battalion of Border Security Force, who was brutally killed by Pakistani troops along the international border (IB) near Jammu on Tuesday.

Youths carrying tricolour on bikes travelled several km along with the army vehicle, which was carrying Narender’s body.

They were chanting ‘Narender Amar Rahe’ and anti-pakistan slogans.

The angry villagers demanded a decisive action against Pakistan when they saw the mutilated body of Narender wrapped in the national flag.

Martyr’s widow Santosh Devi and sons Mohit Kumar and

I don’t have any regrets over his martyrdom, but I feel bad the way his body was mutilated. SANTOSH DEVI, widow of Narender Kumar

Ankit Kumar paid floral tributes to him before Mohit lit the funeral pyre.

“I don’t have any regrets over his martyrdom, but I feel bad the way his body was mutilated,” said Santosh Devi.

The family members urged the Union government to “answer Pakistan in its own language and take decisive steps” to stop the killing of the soldiers at the border in future.

“My father has sacrificed his life for the country and we are proud of him, but such incidents must be stopped,” said Ankit.

He added that the family was dependent on his father and he and his elder brother are still studying.

MINISTER BEDI PAYS VISIT

Haryana minister of state Krishan Bedi also reached the village and assured all support from the government to them. “The government is standing behind the family at this moment of grief and it will provide assistance to them as per the government policy,” he added.

Bedi also said the government will accept the proposal of the village panchayat to set up Narender’s memorial in the village.

SURJEWALA SLAMS MODI

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who also reached the village to pay his last respects to the martyr, slammed the Modi government at the Centre for allegedly doing nothing over the killing of the India soldiers by Pakistan. “Narender has done his duty by sacrificing his life, but he left a question behind. Now our prime minister, who had made tall claims to take revenge of killings of our soldiers, should answer the question when these killing will stop,” he said.