Thousands turn up for Atal’s ashes immersion in Saryu
LUCKNOW : Thousands of people came out on the streets in the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya on Friday to be part of the ‘Atal Kalash Yatra’ when the ashes of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reached there for immersion in river Saryu.
Meandering through narrow roads, the ‘Kalash Yatra’ traversed through Faizabad and reached Ram Ki Paidi on the bank of river Saryu in Ayodhya.
Seers, political leaders and others assembled on the river bank, paid tributes to the late prime minister.
Kamal Nayan Das, successor of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who heads the all-powerful Mani Ram Das Chawni Peeth that is spearheading the Ram Mandir movement, and other prominent saints of the temple town were present at the ghat. Amid chanting of vedic hymns the ashes of the late PM was immersed in Saryu. Mahant Gopal Das could not turn up due to ill-health.
“Great people like Atal Bihari Vajpayee never die. They remain among us in various forms,” said Kamal Nayan Das.
Mahant Kanahiya Das, head of the Ayodhya Sant Samiti, said: “Atalji’s life and views are an inspiration even for saints of Ayo-
dhya.” Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, basic education minister Anupama Jaiswal, Faizabad MP Lallu Singh and all five MLAs of the party of the twin towns were also present during immersion of the ashes.
“Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s aura and acceptability transcends all barriers. We all know that the late PM was never associated with the temple movement, but this has no bearing on his popularity in Ayodhya,” said Tilak Dhari Pandey, who runs a food joint in Faizabad.
Urvashi Sanyal, a housewife and resident of Ram Ki Paidi area, said: “Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a mass leader. People of Ayodhya will always remember him.”
Many people of Ayodhya have fond memories of Vajpayee when he used to visit the temple town as an active member of the RSS and also when he stayed in the town for two nights during the Emergency days.