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Widow refuses to believe Madhavrao is dead

"Madhvi (Raje, widow of Madhavrao Scindia) refuses to accept the news," says Congress MP and former chief minister of Pondicherry MOH Farook, after visiting the grieving Scindia clan at the 27, Sadarjung Road residence.

"Madhvi is in an inner room, she refuses to come out, she keeps saying the news is untrue," another visitor to the Scindia home told rediff.com

The road leading to the Scindia residence is almost impassable, with masses of police, over 200 VVIP cars, and throngs of ordinary citizens, all congregating there.

Security has been tightened in the area, and visitors are being screened carefully with only a select few being allowed inside the barricades.

Recent arrivals include former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, former President R Venkatraman, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, and fashion designer Rajeev Sethi.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Vadra are with the family, in an inner room of the building.

"It is a great tragedy," Sonia Gandhi said, "and a personal loss to me."

While Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee left after spending some time condoling with the family, Home Minister L K Advani, who was among the first to arrive, has stayed back and is coordinating arrangements to bring back the bodies of Scindia and the others on the ill-fated flight.

Arrangements have also been made to meet Scindia's son, who is due to arrive by the 6 pm flight from Bombay, at the airport and escort him to the residence.

"The atmosphere inside is indescribable, everyone is stunned, there is only silence, and sadness," Nagaland MP K A Sangtam told rediff.com after spending some time condoling with the family.

"He was a noble person," says Sangtam, "and not just because of his royal lineage. He was truly a noble human being. His loss does not belong to the Congress party alone, but to the entire nation.

Death in the Afternoon: The Complete Coverage

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