An RTI query has put to rest the cause for according veteran Bollywood actress, Sridevi, a funeral with full state honours. The query has revealed that it was done under the instructions of the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis.
An RTI activist, Anil Galgali, had filed an RTI seeking details of full state honors granted for the cremation of the Bollywood actress and also who has the powers of granting such rights. The RTI was filed under the RTI Act 2005 from the Protocol Department of the Maharashtra Government.
In a reply, the Protocol Department informed that the granting of the full state honors for cremation is under the powers of the Chief Minister, who also heads the General Administration Department, under which the Protocol Department comes.
It was also clarified that the power to grant full state honors for cremation of any person is under the discretionary powers of the Chief Minister and is not dependent on being a Padma Shri awardee.
“A verbal order in regards to the state honours provided to noted actress late Amma Yangar Ayyappan alias Sridevi was received from the Chief Minister’s Office on February, 25, and the same was conveyed to the Mumbai Suburban Collector and the Mumbai Police Commissioner by a Government order, dated February 26, 2018, to do the needful,” the RTI reply read.
Sridevi’s funeral with state honours has raised many brows. Few days back, even Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray had criticized the Maharashtra government for according state funeral to the actress.
Sridevi passed away on late night on February 24 in Dubai, where she went to attend a family wedding.
The cremation ceremony took place at Vile Parle’s Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery on February 28, in Mumbai with full state honors.