India bids adieu to Vajpayee
NEW DELHI: India on Friday bid adieu to one of its most respected leaders, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 93.
As national leaders and his close ones clad in white clothes stood in solemnity by the pyre and amid chants of Vedic hymns, the poet prime minister’s foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya lit the pyre at Smrithi Sthal, in a break from the tradition of a male family member performing the last rites.
A galaxy of political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LK Advani, and foreign dignitaries paid their last tributes at the state funeral.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan said that Vajpayee’s efforts to better the India-pakistan relationship will always be remembered.
A decorated gun carriage carrying Vajpayee’s mortal remains left his home on Krishna Menon Marg around 10am and reached the Bharatiya Janata Party’s headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, about 5km away, around 11am.
Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the party walked in the funeral procession, nearly 4km, along with thousands of mourners from the BJP headquarters to Smriti Sthal as thousands lined up along the path chanted “Atalji amar rahe.” After a gun salute, Vajpayee’s body was consigned to flames. His granddaughter Niharika was handed over the Tricolour which was used to drape his mortal remains.
All three forces - army, navy and air force - laid wreath on the mortal remains of Vajpayee.
Army chief Bipin Rawat and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid last respects.
Among foreign dignitaries attending, the most noticed was Pakistan law minister Ali Zafar.
NEWDELHI: In a mark of solidarity with India, leaders of South Asian nations attended former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s funeral in New Delhi on Friday.
“When neighbours came together to express the sense of loss on sad demise of a statesman!” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, former Afghan President HAMID KARZAI, ACTING Pakistan LAW and Information Minister Ali Zafar, Nepal Foreign Minister Pradip Gyawali, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan MAHMUD ALI AND ACTING SRI Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella were among those who paid their tributes to Vajpayee at his cremation site Smriti Sthal here.
Vajpayee, 93, passed away after a prolonged illness here on Thursday evening.
According to Kumar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also held meetings with KARZAI AND BANGLADESH Foreign Minister Ali and recalled Vajpayee’s contributions to ties with their Countries. Sushma SWARAJ AND KARZAI talked about the great role played by Vajpayee in consolidating democracy in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said.
In the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Ali, the two leaders recalled Vajpayee’s contribution in consolidating India’s friendship with Bangladesh.