NEW DELHI: The country is paying homage to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, who were among the 13 killed in a copter crash at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The bodies of the two were taken to their residence at Kamraj Road in Delhi in the morning. Many from political, cultural and social sectors reached their residence to pay respects.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Ministers Mansukh Mandavaya, Sarbananda Sonowal, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, A K Antony, Harish Singh, Mallikarjuna Garge, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Delhi National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, DMK leaders A Raja, Kanimozhi, JP Nadda, Indian Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikayath, French and Israeli diplomats were present at the residence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid homage to the bodies of General Bipin Rawat and at the Palam Airbase yesterday.

A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS. The Chief of Defence Staff will be accorded a 17-gun salute as per laid down protocols.

Senior military commanders from Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh arrived in New Delhi to attend General Rawat's funeral.