Live: Gadkari gets charge of porfolios held by Munde

7.56 pm: Gadkari gets charge of porfolios held by Munde Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was today given the additional charge of portfolios held by Gopinath Munde who died in a road accident in New Delhi. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said President Pranab Mukherjee, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has directed that Gadkari shall be given additional charge of the Ministries of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation. 2.49 pm: BJP workers pelt stones at Maha CM’s vehicle, want CBI to probe Munde’s death There was a minor protest and stone pelting on Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan’s vehicle in Parli. Agitated BJP workers pelted stones at his vehicle as demanding a CBI probe into Gopinath Munde’s untimely death. A section of the BJP has alleged that Munde’s death wasn’t a mere accident but a conspiracy to kill him. 1: 55 pm: A daughter lights the pyre, crowds chant in chorus Chants of ‘Parat yaa, parat yaa" (come back, come back) are heard as the last rites proceed. There is much discussion on social media over Pankaja giving ‘Mukhagni’ or lighting the funeral pyre. The norm is usually for the son or, in the absence of one, a close male relative to perform the last rites. Apparently, not only is there nothing in Vedic texts against women taking on this responsibility but it’s also becoming increasingly common for daughters to volunteer for the task.  1:47 pm: Final rites start, Pankaja lights pyre The final rites have just begun and daughter Pankaja Munde Palwe, MLA from Parli, lights the funeral pyre. Lakhs of supporters watched alongside sombre BJP and Shiv Sena leaders. The Union minister was cremated with full state honours. 1:27 pm: The sea of people would have gathered for victory rally, came for funeral instead Speaking to CNN-IBN, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy just pointed out the irony of the huge crowds that have gathered to pay their respects for the last rites. “They were to come here for a victory celebration, instead they have come to mourn the loss of their leader,” Rudy said. The lakhs of people have gathered despite the scorching afternoon sun. The temperature in Parli are currently in the range of 41 degrees. 1: 11 pm: Family, top party leaders come together in time of crisis. The Munde-Mahajan family is standing together once again amid a crisis. Seen on stage along with Pankaja Palwe Munde, apart from one of her sisters, was cousin Poonam Mahajan, newly elected MP from Mumbai and daughter of Pramod Mahajan.  The latter’s brother Rahul Mahajan was at the airport yesterday, escorting Munde’s wife and other grieving relatives to Delhi. Prakash Mahajan, Pramod and Praveen’s third brother, was also seen at the funeral. Munde’s estranged nephew Dhananjay, who was the former’s political affairs in Beed until 2009 when the senior Munde picked daughter Pankaja for the Assembly seat of Parli instead, was however not seen. Dhananjay Munde quit the BJP a couple of years ago following disgruntlement with his uncle and joined the NCP instead. Among the senior BJP leaders on stage and assisting with arrangements and crowd control are Rajibv Pratap Rudy, the party’s in-charge for Maharashtra state; Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Vinod Tawde and  state BJP president Devendra Phadnavis. 12.26 pm: Stone pelting, chaos at Munde’s funeral venue in Parli The situation at Munde’s funeral venue in Parli is becoming increasingly more volatile with crowds now pelting stones at police forces who are struggling to maintain order. Reports from the venue said that emotions at the ground were running high. Munde was an extremely popular politician in the state and had done a lot of work in his village and adjoining areas. Meanwhile several prominent politicians have already been seen at the venue, paying their respects to the minister. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were seen paying respects. Pankaja Munde is currently on stage next to her father’s coffin and was seen trying to calm down the crowds. There is a heavy ring of security now present between the crowds and Gopinath Munde’s casket. 12.05 pm: Huge crowds create chaos at Munde’s funeral venue With Gopianth Munde’s body having reached his home village of Parli in Beed district, Maharashtra, thousands of people have thronged the venue of the funeral and there is absolute chaos as they all surge towards the coffin in a bid to pay their respects. Police were seen struggling to maintain order as people surged towards a makeshift stage upon which the coffing was kept and even tried to climb barricades. Some people were also seen hurling stones towards the assembled forces. Munde’s cremation will be held at 2pm with his aughter Pankaja scheduled to perform the last rites. 11.06 am: Lok Sabha marks 2 minutes silence in tribute to Munde The first session of the 16th Lok Sabha got underway with protem speaker Kamal Nath paying tribute to Gopinath Munde and asking for the house to observe two minutes of silence. Nath then paid tribute to Gopinath Munde, who passed away following a car accident in New Delhi on Tuesday. Calling him an ‘active parliamentarian with a passion of parliamentary ethics", Nath praised Munde’s work and recounted his long and illustrious political career in Maharashtra, which culminated in his appointment as the minister for rural affairs. 10.00 am: Munde’s body arrives at Latur airport The mortal remains of Union Minister Gopinath Munde arrived at Latur airport by a special aircraft and will now be taken to his native village Parli via special chopper, where his final rites will be conducted by his daughter, Pankaja. The funeral will take place at a sugar factory, which Munde helped set up in his initial political days. The funeral will take place at 4 pm this afternoon and BJP leaders including LK Advani and M Venkaiah Naidu will attend. 7.12 am: Gopinath Munde’s body moved from BJP HQ in Mumbai It’s another guard of honour as the body of Gopinath Munde is moved from the BJP unit in Mumbai en route to Latur. From there it will be airlifted via special helicopter to Munde’s home village of Parli, which is in the Beed district. He will be given a full state funeral. Munde’s mortal remains will reach Parli village at around 8am. It will be kept in Parali-Vaijnath village for a few hours to enable the locals to pay homage to the man who grew up amongst them, and then taken away for the last rites. Several thousands of people, including VVIPs, top national and state leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties are expected to attend the funeral. The list includes LK Advani,Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Dr Harsh Vardhan. The cremation is expected to take place at 2pm. -- end of updates for 3 June – 8.22 pm: Testing time for BJP members, says Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Munde’s death BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said that it was a challenging time for the people in BJP after Gopinath Munde’s death. “Munde’s body will be kept at the BJP head quarters. These are challenging times for BJP workers,” he said. 7.41 pm: Uddhav, Raj Thackeray, Hema Malini at Munde’s residence in Mumbai The body of Munde arrived at the Mumbai airport this evening and now has been taken to his residence in Worli where leaders have gathered to pay their last respects to him. Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, Rahul Mahajan, Poonam Mahajan were present at his residence. Actor Reitesh Deshmukh, whose father Vilas Rao Deshmukh was a politician, was also seen at Munde’s residence and so was Hema Malini.

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5.35 pm: Sonia writes to Gopinath Munde’s wife condoling his death Political differences blurred as Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote a personal letter to Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s family condoling his death and Rahul Gandhi visited the BJP office to pay respects to the departed leader. “There are some events in life on which one has no control and one has to bear with them,” said Sonia in a letter to Pradanya, wife of the senior BJP leader from Maharashtra. Gandhi had lost her husband Rajiv Gandhi in a terrorist attack some 23 years back and her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984. Paying tributes to Munde, she said that the backward class leader tried to discharge the responsibilities given to him in his political and social life with full dedication. “Hailing from a humble background, Munde made a mark in social and political life by the dint of his hard work, polite behaviour and commitment towards the backward classes, which is a source of inspiration for all,” she said. Noting that the tragedy has brought unbearable pain to the family, Gandhi said that she is with them in this hour of grief. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the 11 Ashoka Road office of BJP to pay respect to the departed leader. This is perhaps for the first time in last many years that any Gandhi family member visited the BJP office. Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Congress and BJP had fought a bitter political battle in this Lok Sabha polls, which was marked by personal attacks from both sides. JD(U) President Sharad Yadav also visited the BJP office in the afternoon to pay tributes to Munde. Yadav, whose party had last year walked out of NDA snapping its 17-year-old ties with BJP, also wrote a letter to Munde’s wife and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to her and the bereaved family. Munde, Union Rural Development Minister and a popular backward class leader from Maharashtra, died today after his liver ruptured and he suffered a cardiac arrest following a road accident this morning. 5.08 pm: Accused in Munde’s death gets bail A Delhi court today granted bail to the accused in the Gopinath Munde death case. The accused had to furnish surety and bonds of Rs 30,000 each. However, there have been reports that have suggested that the fault of the accident was because of Munde’s driver. 4.30 pm: Union cabinet condoles Munde’s death The Union cabinet today met in New Delhi and passed a resolution condoling the death of their colleague Gopinath Munde after observing a silence of two minutes in his memory. “Gopinath Munde’s cremation will take place tomorrow with full state honour. Tomorrow his body will be taken to Latur then to his village,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters after the cabinet meet was over. “A national mourning will be observed today,” he said. Meanwhile, the schedule of Parliament tomorrow will continue as scheduled. “The swearing in of Protem Speaker will be held tomorrow at 10 am because summonses have been issued,” Naidu said. 3.43 pm: Munde gets Guard of Honour at Delhi Airport Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s body was given a guard of honour at the  Delhi Airport before it was flown out to Mumbai by a special aircraft. His body will arrive at the Mumbai Airport from where it will be taken to his Worli residence where party workers can pay their last respects. The Union Cabinet will meet at 4 pm this evening to condole the death of their colleague. 3.15 pm: Munde suffered cervical fractures, says Dr Harsh Vardhan Union Minister Gopinath Munde who passed away after a car accident early today suffered cervical fractures, liver rupture and also lost 1-2 litres of blood, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told NDTV. Munde’s body has been taken to the Delhi Airport from where it will be flown to Mumbai. The cremation will be held on Wednesday. “His liver was ruptured which caused internal bleeding. Due to the sudden impact, he then suffered cardiac arrest. None of the external wounds were fatal enough to cause death,” AIIMS sources told PTI. 2:40 pm: Advani says party will be deeply affected in Maharashtra Party patriarch LK Advani said that Munde’s demise would create a giant gap for the party’s leadership in Maharashtra and would be a difficult one to fill. “He was also the party’s deputy chief of opposition in the Lok Sabha and his absence will be felt,” Advani told reporters. Other leaders from Maharashtra like Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and NCP chief Sharad Pawar also praised Munde and said that his demise would be a loss to the state. 2.35 pm: Gopinath Munde’s body being moved to Delhi airport Gopinath Munde’s body is being moved from the BJP headquarters to the Delhi airport, where it will be airlifted to Maharashtra so that his last rites can be held in his village Parli, in Beed district. The return of Munde to Maharashtra is all the more tragic, given that he was due to participate in a massive victory rally in his hometown. The victory celebrations will now all be replaced with funeral preparations. 2.05 pm: Rahul Gandhi arrives to pay tribute to Munde Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is the latest to arrive at the BJP headquarters to pay his last respects to Gopinath Munde. Shortly after paying his respects, Rahul was them seen engaging in conversation with senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu and other party leaders. The headquarters of the BJP is currently packed with party workers and leaders who are keen to pay their last respects. 1.35 pm: PM Modi pays tributes to Gopinath Munde Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived at the BJP headquarters to pay his tributes to Union minister Gopinath Munde. Modi was seen speaking to Munde’s daughter Pankaja as well as Home Minister Rajnath Singh. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473737010486599680 [caption id=“attachment_1554605” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying his respects to Gopinath Munde. Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost[/caption] 1.15 pm: Advani, Mohan Bhagwat, Pawar pay tribute to Munde BJP leaders MM Joshi, LK Advani, party president Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu, Vijay Goel, Nitin Gadkari, Gen VK Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar were among the leaders present. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan were also present. President Pranab Mukherjee and former prime minister AB Vajpayee sent floral tributes. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473732103851356160 1.00 pm: Gopinath Munde’s body arrives at BJP HQs BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s body arrived at the party headquarters on Ashoka road, where political leaders from across parties have gathered to pay their tribute to the Maharashtra politician. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as other Union Ministers will also arrive at the  party office to pay their respects. His body will be flown to Mumbai later today. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473728785359970304 https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473730154317881344 12.47 pm: Munde’s body on its way to BJP’s HQ BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s body has been handed over to his family and will now be taken to the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several other BJP leaders are expected to pay their tributes to Munde this afternoon. Later today, his body will be airlifted to Mumbai and taken to his Worli residence where party workers can pay their respects. His final rites will be held at Parli tomorrow. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473724179259207680 Meanwhile, RJD Chief Lalu Prasad paid tributes to Munde saying he has ’lost a friend who believed in empowering the power and the deprived’. 12.30 pm: Munde’s family arrives in Delhi Gopinath Munde’s family have just arrived in Delhi and they are expected to go straight to AIIMS where Munde’s body will be handed over to them. The body will then be taken to the BJP headquarters where various political leaders will arrive to pay their last respects. At around 3 pm, the body will be flown to Lathur airport and from there to Munde’s village Parli. Our correspodent Pallavi Polanki reports that senior party leaders and Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash Javadekar have arrived at the party office. 12.20 pm: No 3 unlucky for Munde, Mahajan families? The Times of India in a report today quotes Sarangi Mahajan, the wife of Pravin Mahajan, as saying that the death of Gopinath Munde was a big blow for her as he was her last hope for a probable reconciliation with Pramod Mahajan’s family. “The third day of a month is very inauspicious for the Mahajan and Munde families,” Sarangi Mahajan told the Times of India. It was on 3 May, 2006 that Pramod Mahajan passed away in Hinduja hospital. On 3 June, 2006, Vivek Moitra, Pramod Mahajan’s Man Friday, died and on March 3, 2010, Pravin Mahajan passed away at the Jupiter hospital in Thane, The Times of India reported. 12.10 pm: Preparations on at BJP headquarters Preperations are underway at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi where Munde’s mortal remains will be kept for people to pay their last respects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as several other political leaders will be present. [caption id=“attachment_1554455” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The BJP headquarters in New Delhi. Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost[/caption] 11.52 am: The nation is poorer, Munde was a mass leader always ready to help: Chavan Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan paid tribute to BJP leader and Union Minister Gopinath Munde saying he was a leader of the masses and in his death the nation has lost a good leader. “Gopinath Munde, as a BJP leader, had done a great role in taking the BJP to power in 1995. He turned the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance into a fighting force in the state. After being inducted into the cabinet, I congratulated him and he promised that the rural and development ministry will be at the disposable of Maharashtra and its people. He had offered full cooperation to Maharashtra and promised to solve problems faced by its people. Munde was a friend of friends beyond political boundaries. He not only maintianed friendship but also helped find way out of difficult situations. The state has lost a leader and the country is poorer.. he was a man of the masses, he will be greatly missed. I offer my deepest condolences, may God give his family strength.” 11.42 am: ‘Munde’s death loss to Shiv Sena-BJP and Maharashtra’ The Shiv Sena has expressed shock over the death of Munde, saying Maharashtra has suffered an irreparable loss in the BJP leader’s death. “In the new regime, he was the top most leader from the state in Delhi. Munde was a grassroot leader and was the most popular. We never saw him losing his temper and he was always found in the midst of party workers. It is not just the Sena-BJP which has lost a towering leader, but Maharashtra has also faced an irreparable loss,” Shiv Sena MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut told PTI. He was a leader who was proud of Maharashtra and its “asmita”. “Mundeji had a very warm and affectionate relationship with the Shiv Sena leadership. He worked hard to get new allies in the Sena-BJP combine and made inroads in the Congress-NCP stronghold of western Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha polls,” Raut said. Munde, 64, was named by the BJP to lead the party campaign in the state. “But fate willed otherwise. Mundeji’s passing away is not just a loss to the Shiv Sena-BJP, but also to Maharashtra,” Raut said. 11.34 am: Pranab Mukherjee bemoans loss of ‘veteran leader’ Munde President Pranab Mukherjee has mourned the loss of Munde, saying that “in his death, we have lost a veteran leader who always worked for the common man”. 11.17 am: Sharad Pawar expresses sadness over BJP leader’s death NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who was one of Gopinath Munde’s main political rivals has expressed his sadness over the BJP leader’s death. Here is his full statement: Gopinath Munde was connected to the people he served for many years. Whether it was his knowledge of agragrian issues or his willingness to work hard for the masses who needed him, he never fell short. The country and the state had expectations from him. He had received an opportunity to work at the national level recently. It’s shocking that he went away suddenly, a big loss for the rural sector. On behalf of the NCP, I extend my condolences to his family and supporters. It’s not an easy challenge to deal with such a shock. I pray for strength for his family. https://twitter.com/Pawar_Sharad/status/473703277339480066 Meanwhile Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has also reacted to Munde’s death, expressing shock over his ‘untimely demise’. Sonia Gandhi has similarly expressed her ‘heartfelt condolences’. 10.59 am: Maharashtra BJP leader demands CBI probe into Munde death A shocked Maharashtra state unit have demanded a CBI probe into the death of their leader Gopinath Munde, who passed away following an accident in Delhi earlier today. A report by Zee News quoted unnamed BJP state officials as saying that they wanted a CBI investigation into the accident as they suspected possible foul play. Gopinath Munde, with five terms as MLA in the Maharashtra legislature and in his second term as the MP from Beed, Maharashtra, was one of Maharashtra’s most prominent Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Along with Nitin Gadkari, he was the seniormost BJP leader in Maharashtra and was set to take charge of the BJP’s most aggressive ever campaign for the Assembly elections coming up later this year. A measure of his clout in the party is reflected in the inclusion of his long-time supporter Raosahab Danve , also from the Marathwada region, in the new council of ministers. Read more 10.55 am: Hamid Ansari’s statement on death of Gopinath Munde Here is vice president Hamid Ansari’s statement on the death of Gopinath Munde: I am profoundly saddened at the passing away of Shri Gopi Nath Munde, the Union Minister for Rural Development in a tragic road accident today. Shri Munde was amongst the most prominent political leaders of Maharashtra who had a long and illustrious public life during which he served his state and the country in various capacities with great distinction. In his departure, we have lost a distinguished public servant whose absence will be felt by one and all. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. I pray to the Almighty to give them strength and fortitude to bear this loss.” 10.47 am: Kejriwal expresses condolences over Munde’s death AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has also added his voice to those who have been expressing their shock and sadness at the death of Gopinath Munde. Kejriwal took to Twitter to express his condolences saying, “V sad to hear the demise of Sh Gopinath Munde. Heartfelt condolence to bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace”. 10.23 am: Union cabinet to condole Munde’s death The union cabinet will meet at 4pm today, to condole Munde’s death say the latest reports. The post mortem on the body of the union minister is currently being carried out in AIIMS, following which it will be moved to the BJP headquarters in Ashoka road. His funeral will be held in his village in Beed district tomorrow. BJP leaders are all presently heading to AIIMS to pay their condolences. Munde’s family is currently en route to Delhi from Mumbai. Meanwhile Maharashtra opposition leader Vinod Tawde had tweeted this out: https://twitter.com/TawdeVinod/status/473676548575223809 10.03 am: Vasundhara Raje, Raman Singh, Fadnavis express condolences State BJP leaders including Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh expressed shock at the death of BJP leader Gopinath Munde. “It is a very shocking incident. I still cannot believe he is not among us,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said. https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis/status/473682586988838913 https://twitter.com/VasundharaBJP/status/473681455747309568 https://twitter.com/drramansingh/status/473683659673718784 9.55 am: Nation to mourn Gopinath Munde’s death As a mark of respect to Union Minister Gopinath Munde, the government has decided that the national flag will be flown at half mast today in Delhi and capitals of states and Union Territories. https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/473682410459389952 https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/473684132024057857 9.50 am: Sushma, Vijay Goel condole Munde’s death Sushma Swaraj: I am shocked to know about sudden demise of my senior colleague Shri Gopinath Munde. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Sadananda Gowda: Shocked to know my colleague Shri Gopinath Munde ji’s demise. It’s a big loss for us. I express my condolences to the family and friends. Vijay Goel: Shocked to hear the news of Shri Gopinath Munde’s demise. Heartfelt condolences to the family at this hour. May his soul rest in peace. ShivrajSingh Chouhan: Saddened to hear the untimely death of our beloved Rural Development Minister Shri Gopinath Munde. My sincere condolences. 9.45 am: Delhi Police confirm driver of car has been arrested Addressing the media, Delhi Police officials have confirmed that the driver of the Indica that hit Munde’s car has been arrested and is currently being questioned. The Indica had reportedly jumped the red light at traffic signal, CNN-IBN reports. Munde was travelling in a SX4. The accident happened at around 6.20 am this morning. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473678518203592705 https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473679108342177792 https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/473686121583345664 9.42 am: Tharoor, Digvijaya express shock at Munde’s death Congress MP Shashi Tharoor offered his condolences to the Munde family saying it was shocking to hear of his demise at his political peak. “Shocking news of demise of Gopinath Munde at his political peak. Sincere condolences to Munde family, BJP & his Government colleagues,” Tharoor tweeted. Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh also expressed grief at the loss. “Shocked to hear the sad demise of Gopinath Munde a personal friend and a great leader. My heartfelt condolences to the Family,” Singh tweeted. 9.40 am: Munde’s death irreparable loss to the BJP, says Rajnath BJP President Rajnath Singh also expressed his condolences saying he was leaving for AIIMS shortly. “Deeply shocked to know of Shri Gopinath Munde’s demise. He was a grassroots leader and known for his concern for poor people and farmers. Mundeji’s death is an irreparable loss to the BJP and he has left a big void in Mahrashtra’s political and social life,” Singh tweeted. 9.35 am: President Pranab Mukherjee condoles Munde’s death President Pranab Mukherjee today expressed condolences after BJP leader and Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s passed away following an accident early this morning. 9.27 am: Extremely saddened and shocked by demise of Munde, says Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of BJP leader Gopinath Munde saying he was ’extremely saddened and shocked’. “Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colelague Gopinath Mundeji. His demise is a major loss for the Nation and the Govt,” Modi tweeted. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/473670956485853185 https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/473671471693197312 https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/473671471693197312 https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/473671689356599296 9.22 am: Driver of car, that hit Munde’s convoy, arrested  The driver of the Indica that hit Gopinath Munde’s car has been arrested, CNN-IBN reported. Munde was seated at the back seat of his Ambassador car while driving to the airport this morning. His car was hit from the side, forcing it to topple. Munde suffered head injuries and was rushed to AIIMS, where he was declared dead at 7.20 am. Here is a timeline of the Maharashtra leader. 9.15 am: “Munde was not breathing when he reached hospital**”** A spokesperson of the AIIMS speaking to the media said that Munde was had no pulse when he arrived at the trauma centre and all efforts were made to revive him. “Munde was brought to AIIMS at 6.30 am this morning by his PA and driver. Munde was sitting on the back seat of his car which was hit by another car from the side at 6.20 am. There was no spontaneous breathing, no pulse, no caridac activity. CPR was started and continued for 50 mins. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived. He was declared dead at 7.20 am. The body has been shifted to the morgue for postmortem, only post that we can say what caused the death. The panel will constitute three doctors. Munde had hypertension and was a sugar patient. He was already under medication. There were no major external injuries on his body.” 9.00 am: Munde’s cremation to be held tomorrow Munde’s body will be flown to Lathur airport from where it will be taken to his village Parli in Beed district of Maharashtra. “His cremation will be held tomorrow,” BJP’s Nitin Gadkari confirmed this morning. 8.45 am: Munde’s body to be at BJP’s HQ at 12.30 pm [caption id=“attachment_1554081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  BJP leader Gopinath Munde passed away this morning. PTI[/caption] Munde’s body will be kept at the BJP’s headquarters in New Delhi at 12.30 pm this afternoon where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. Senior party leader Harsh Vardhan confirmed the development further saying that Munde’s family are already on their way to New Delhi. In grim news coming in early this morning, Union Minister and BJP’s tallest leader in Maharasthra Gopinath Munde passed away after a serious car accident early this morning at around 6.30 am. The accident took place on Lodi Road when Munde, who was in an Ambassador car, was on his way to the airport to leave for Maharashtra where he was scheduled to attend various post-election rallies. Munde was also Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during 1992-1995 and has held the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999. Speaking to media a short while ago, BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said that Munde had died at around 8 am in the morning. “He was taken to Safdarjung hospital but he passed away at around 8 am this morning.