Krishna arrived in a special flight along with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar as the official delegation of the Indian government.[break]
The delegation went to the residence of Sujata Koirala, daughter of late Koirala and Deputy Prime Minister, at Madhikhatar to express their condolences, before paying the last tributes at the National Stadium. They are also scheduled to attend the last rites at the Aryaghat, Pashupatinath.
"He was a very tall leader of the sub-continent and led the democratic movement in this country for a long period," Mukherjee told journalists upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport. "In the demise of great Girija Prasad Koirala, we have lost a great friend."
Mukherjee added that the delegation had come to Nepal to express condolence on behalf of the Government of India and Indian National Congress.
Meira Kumar said that Nepal has lost a statesman of great statue. She further added that South Asia and India has lost a ´great champion of democracy´.
The delegation will return on Sunday evening.
Earlier on Sunday, B P Tripathi, the General Secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party of India, arrived to participate in the last rites.
Tripathi went to the National Stadium in the afternoon to pay the last tribute. "He was the leader of South Asia," Tripathi told media. "He is the real guardian of Nepali politics."
"The greatest tribute to him will be to complete peace process and constitute writing," he added. "He wrote script of democracy in Nepal and successfully led mass movements."
Related story
Fellow singers pay tribute to late Baidya
