New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday paid tributes to Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and 12 others who died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
The members also stood in silence for a brief while as a mark of respect for the departed souls.
As soon as the House met for the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement on the crash, and said that an inquiry has started into the incident. He also paid tributes to the deceased.
Paying tributes, Speaker Om Birla said that Rawat had worked a lot towards bringing in reforms in the system and would be remembered for his dedication.
Thirteen of the 14 people on board the helicopter died in the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
Group Captain Varun Singh, who survived the crash, is on life support at a Wellington hospital.
Dalai Lama condoles demise of General Rawat
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama also expressed grief over the death of Rawat.
“I pray for the general and his companions and offer my heartfelt condolences to the members of the families of all those who perished in this unfortunate accident,” the Dalai Lama said.
“I salute General Rawat’s long-standing contribution in the service of the nation,” he added.
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