New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee was cremated with full state honours at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal near the Rajghat here today. His daughter Namita Bhattacharya performed the last rites.
The 93-year old BJP leader was cremated in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and host of leaders including Chief Ministers of different states of India.
Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lanka’s acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Pakistan’s Law Minister Ali Zafar, British High Dominic Asquith, Commissioner to India and others also paid their tributes and took part in the last rites of Vajpayee.
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa also paid their last tribute to the former PM.
The tricolour which was wrapped around mortal remains of Vajpayee was handed over to his granddaughter Niharika.
Earlier, Vajpayee’s mortal remains was kept at his official residence – 6 A, Krishna Menon Marg, where people paid homage to the departed leader.
Later, his body was taken to the BJP Headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg where several BJP leaders and other people offered their last respects. From there the funeral procession started.
PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the party walked in the funeral procession from the BJP headquarters.
Sea of people took part in the funeral procession chanting ‘Atal Amar Rahe’.
Smriti Sthal is located between Jawaharlal Nehru’s memorial ‘Shanti Van’ and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s ‘Vijay Ghat’.
Adequate police and paramilitary personnel were deployed along the entire procession route.
The Union Government has announced a week-long state mourning as a mark of respect to the departed leader. During these seven days, the national flag will fly half-mast across the country. Besides, there will not be any form of celebration in any government offices.
Most of the state governments had also declared holiday today as mark of respect to Vajpayee.
Vajpayee was admitted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with a kidney infection, chest congestion, urinary tract infection and low urine output on June 11. However, he breathed his last on Thursday.
Kalinga AI