A grief-stricken and heartbroken Geetika Lidder and Aashna Lidder, wife and daughter of Brigadier Lakhwinder Singh Lidder, bid goodbye to him this morning, as he was laid to rest with full military honours.

Brigadier Lidder was one of the 13 who died in the tragic helicopter crash of Wednesday was laid to rest on Friday at the Brar Square crematorium, Delhi Cantonment.

Heart-breaking visuals shared by news agency ANI showed Lidder's wife in tears kneeling the head of his coffin, which was draped with the national flag and decked with flowers. The Brigadier's daughter, Aashna, was by her mother's side, fighting back tears of her own as she let a handful of rose petals fall through her fingers and on to her father's coffin.

Speaking later to ANI, Aashna Lidder said, "I am going to be 17. So he was with me for 17 years, we will go ahead with happy memories. It’s a national loss. My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined and better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator."

Geetika Lidder said that he should be given a smiling send-off. “We must give him a good farewell, a smiling send-off, I am a soldier’s wife. It’s a big loss," she said.

She added that Brig Lidder was a ‘larger than life’ man and he had a lot of friends.

She said she is a soldier’s wife and she has to accept the loss of her husband as god’s wish. Mrs Lidder added that the Brigadier was a very good father and her daughter is going to miss him a lot.

Wife of late Brigadier LS Lidder received the Tricolour as she and others pay last respects to her husband during his funeral at Brar Square, Delhi Cantt, in New Delhi. PTI

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Haryana chief minister M L Khattar on Friday laid wreaths on the mortal remains of Lidder, who died along with 12 others in the military chopper crash in Tamil Nadu.

A second-generation Army officer, Brig Lidder was set to be promoted as Major General soon and was preparing for his next posting after serving as a key member in Gen Rawat’s team for more than a year.

The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat have also been brought to their residence, and will be taken in a gun carriage for the funeral in Delhi Cantonment Brar Square around 4 pm.

Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and personnel of the Indian Armed Forces paid their last respects to the late general and his wife.

With inputs from agencies

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