New Delhi: BSP founder Kanshi Ram, who symbolised the rise of Dalit power in Indian politics, died early on Monday but his cremation took place under the shadow of a dispute between his family members and Mayawati.
Kanshi Ram had appointed Mayawati as his political heir.
At the intervention of Delhi High Court where Kanshi Ram's brother Harbans Singh and sister Swarn Kaur, who had sought post mortem on the body as they suspected it was an unnatural death and demanded it be handed over to them for the last rites.
Both attended the cremation under police protection.
The cremation of the 72-year-old BSP leader, who died of cerebral stroke arising out of multiple health complications after prolonged illness, was carried out as per Buddhist rites.
Mayawati announced that in accordance with his wishes, Kanshi Ram's ashes will be kept in party offices in Lucknow and Delhi and not be immersed in the Ganges, the Yamuna or any other river.
Top leaders from across the political spectrum, including Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and former Prime Minister I K Gujral attended the funeral of Kanshi Ram.
Monks chanted Buddhist hymns as thousands of Kanshi Ram's supporters raised slogans like Kanshiram Amar Rahe and his family was in tears as the pyre was lit.
Earlier in the day, President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joined a broad spectrum of political leaders in paying tributes to Kanshi Ram describing him as the authentic voice of Dalits and his death an irrepariable loss to Indian politics.
Before leaving on a two-nation visit, the Prime Minister drove to the BSP headquarters, 11 Rakab Ganj, and placed a wreath on Kanshi Ram's body.
Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by her son Rahul, the Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, Union Ministers Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan were among the leaders who paid floral tributes at the party headquarters.
Some of them were also present at the cremation.
Some drama preceded the cremation when Kanshi Ram's family approached the Delhi High Court seeking possession of the body of Kanshi Ram over whose treatement the family had fought an unsuccessful legal battle against Mayawati in the last two years.
Anticipating possible trouble, Mayawati changed plans to keep in the party headquarters for public homage and made early arrangements for cremation.
The family members were brought to the cremation ground on the banks of the Yamuna under police protection.
After the rites were over, Swarn Kaur accused Mayawati of destroying their family.
"She (Mayawati) never allowed us to even meet him during the last few years," she said.
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