Panipat (Haryana), Sep 18 (IANS): Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Monday called on family members of Major Aashish Dhonchak, who was martyred in an encounter with terrorists in J&K's Anantnag.

He paid tributes and expressed condolences to the family.

"The country is safe today because of brave soldiers like Major Aashish, who are the pride of the nation.

"He has made the supreme sacrifice for the country for which the country will always be indebted to him, and his family. The entire country is proud of Major Aashish and the country stands with the martyr's family in their hour of grief," Hooda added.

Amid chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram', mortal remains of third-generation soldier Col Manpreet Singh and his colleague Major Aashish Dhonchak, who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting the nation from the terrorists in Anantnag, were cremated with full military honours at their hometowns in Punjab and Haryana, respectively, on September 15.

Major Dhonchak, who joined the Army in 2013, was planning to visit the family on his birthday on October 23. The lone brother of three sisters and the youngest among the siblings, he is survived by his wife Jyoti and three-year-old daughter Vamika.