New Delhi: The last rites of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be performed at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal here at 4 PM today. The 93-year old BJP leader, who passed away at AIIMS yesterday evening, will be given State funeral.
The body of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been kept at his official residence – 6 A, Krishna Menon Marg, where people paid homage to the departed leader from 7.30 AM to 8:30 AM.
His body was taken to the BJP Headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg at 9 AM where people would offer their last respects. BJP President Amit Shah said, the funeral procession will leave Party Headquarters at 1 PM and the last rites will be performed at 4 PM.
A 7-day state mourning has been announced as a mark of respect to the departed leader. In a circular Home Ministry said, the national flag will fly half-mast across the country till 22nd of this month. National flag will also fly half-mast at all Indian missions abroad today. A half-day holiday has been declared in all offices of central government and central public sector undertakings today.
Most of the state governments have declared holiday today as mark of respect to Vajpayee.
Several roads in the national capital have been closed for public from 8 AM today in view of funeral. These include Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh Road, Tughak Road, Akbar Road, Tees January Marg, Man Singh Road, Bhagwan Dass Raod, Shahjahan Road and Sikandra Road.
Smriti Sthal is located between Jawaharlal Nehru’s memorial ‘Shanti Van’ and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s ‘Vijay Ghat’.
Ms Kalinga