In a startling revelation, Jammu and Kashmir Governor S K Sinha has said the Morarji Desai cabinet had decided not to accord a state funeral to Jayaprakash Narayan.
Sinha, who was in Bhubaneswar to attend the 104th birth anniversary of the great socialist leader, on Wednesday said when the news of the death of Jayprakash Narayan flashed, the then defence secretary rang him up to say the Cabinet had decided not to accord a state funeral to Jayaprakash.
The Jammu Kashmir Governor said being the adjutant general he was preparing the movement of the gun carriage from Ranchi to Patna and arranging for an Air Force plane when he was told by the defence secretary that since Jayprakash was not holding any official post, he would be not given a state funeral.
Sinha said he reminded the defence secretary that when Mahatma Gandhi died in 1948, he was not holding any post yet he was given a state funeral and pleaded why the same formula should not be applied for Jayaprakashji.
It was Acharya Kripalini and Jayaprakash, who had recommended the name of Morarji Desai as the prime minister during the Janata regime from among three names put before them for the post, he remarked.
Sinha further said Jayaprakash was fortunate that the death news turned out to be a rumour and six months later when he died, he was given state honour during the tenure of Choudhary Charan Singh as prime minister.
