Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Congress Working Committee (CWC) Thursday condoled the “sudden and untimely” demise of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter crash and said he had achieved a lot at a relatively young age.

A resolution passed at the meeting, held at the residence of party president Sonia Gandhi, said that Dorjee Khandu successfully completed all tasks undertaken by him and the party will feel his loss for a long time.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the meeting.

Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said after the CWC meeting that the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi will go to Itanagar Friday to pay their respects to the party leader.

In its resolution, the CWC, which is the highest decision making forum of the Congress, said that in the initial years of his life, Dorjee Khandu was in the intelligence wing of the Indian Army and won gold medals for his work in the Bangladesh liberation war.

“After leaving the army, he started working at the grassroots in Tawang district and earned popularity. Simultaneously, he worked in the field of cooperatives and culture and led the cultural delegation of Arunachal in the 1982 Asian Games.”

The resolution said Khandu was unanimously elected vice-resident of the zila parishad (district council).

“He was elected unopposed to the first legislative assembly of the state. He was elected five times to the state assembly and three of those elections were unopposed. He served as a minister in different departments in the state and became chief minister in 2007.”

The resolution said that Dorjee Khandu was born in an ordinary family in Monpa tribe of Arunachal Pradesh and reached the highest political office in the state through his dedication and hard work.

“His untimely demise is a loss for the party, which will be felt for a long time,” the resolution said.

The party conveyed its condolences to the family of Dorjee Khandu, his supporters and people of Arunachal Pradesh.