By IANS
New Delhi : Former Delhi chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Sahib Singh Verma was cremated Sunday amid chanting of Vedic hymns near his ancestral village Mundka in west Delhi.
Verma, who was labour minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2002 till 2004, died Saturday in a road accident near Alwar in Rajasthan. He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.
A galaxy of leaders cutting across party lines, including Vajpayee, attended the funeral. Delhi Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna was also present.
Verma's body was consigned to flames in the presence of thousands of villagers and party workers who appeared too shocked for the leader's untimely demise.
They shouted slogans like "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Sahib tera naam rahega" (Sahib's name will last till the existence of the sun and moon)."
The funeral of the prominent Jat leader was also attended by other prominent leaders of his community, including Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the state's former chief minister Om Praksah Chautala and Lok Sabha member Sajjan Kumar, who had defeated Verma during the 2004 general election from Outer Delhi constituency.
Prominent BJP leaders who attended the funeral included party stalwart L.K. Advani and president Rajnath Singh.
Verma became chief minister of Delhi in 1996 and held the post for more than two-and-a-half years.