General Bipin Rawat dead: Leaders cutting across party lines pay tributes

Tributes pour in: General Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife died on Wednesday after an IAF chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu, killing 13 on board. The IAF had confirmed a little before 2 pm that an Mi-17 V5 helicopter with General Bipin Rawat on board had "met with an accident near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

Also read | Tamil Nadu: General Bipin Rawat among 13 dead in IAF chopper crash

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condoled the demise of General Bipin Rawat.

Taking to Twitter, Rajnath Singh said, "Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country."

-PTC News