Former Defence Minister George Fernandes Body To Be Cremated While His Ashes Will Be Buried, Says Jaya Jaitly

Social activist and former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly had said that the former defence minister George Fernandes’s body will be cremated while his ashes will be buried, reports Deccan Chronicle.

"He (Fernandes) had earlier expressed his wish to be cremated, but during his last days, he said he wanted to be buried. So, we will cremate the body and bury the ashes, to fulfil both his wishes," Jaitly was quoted in the report as saying.

She said the last rites of Fernandes, who passed away on Tuesday (29 January) morning at the age of 88, would be performed on Wednesday (30 January). "We are waiting for his son, who lives in the US. His last rites will be performed tomorrow. His body will be embalmed and put at his residence," she said.

Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer's disease for a long period and was down with swine flu for the last few days as well.

He was the Defence Minister in the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government during the Kargil War in 1999 and Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998. Apart from that, he also held several ministerial portfolios like communications, industry and railways.