Atal Bihari Vajpayee passes away at the age of 93.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 5.05 pm at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over Vajpayee’s demise and said, “I have no words, I am filled with emotions right now.Our respected Atal ji is no more. Every moment of his life he had dedicated to the nation.”
Overwhelmed with sorrow, President Ram Nath Kovind said he was “extremely sad” to hear the passing of the former PM and a “true Indian statesman”.
Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi too expressed his condolence to Vajpayee’s family and all his admirers. “Today India lost a great son. Former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, was loved and respected by millions. My condolences to his family & all his admirers. We will miss him,” said Gandhi.
Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly tweeted, "Bharat loses its gleaming Ratna...An amazing soul .. may his soul rest in peace." Vajpayee was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 2015.
Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PYI) chief Imran Khan also extended his condolences over the sad demise of the former PM. The Prime-Minister Imran Khan said, “The sub-continent has lost a phenomenal and a visionary political figure today." Lauding his role in maintaining Pakistan-India bilateral relations, Imran Khan stated that his contribution will never be forgotten.The PTI chairman stated that there could be political differences between the two countries, however, the desire to establish peace exists on both sides of the border. Khan also said that the former PM’s sad demise has created a vacuum in the political arena of the sub-continent. In order to pay homage to his tireless services, he said, we can resort to the establishment and promotion of peace across the region. “I extend sympathies to the people of India in this hour of grief,” he said.
Taking to Twitter, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, "A great personality, a steadfast and universally accepted leader, who instilled Bharatiya culture and values in public life, Atalji has left us today. The void left behind will remain forever. We join the nation in paying our deepest respects to the departed soul."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh expressed deep sorrow and said Vajpayee was his "guru" and "father figure".
"Over 2.50 crore people of Chhattisgarh will always remember him as the founder of this state. In 1998, Vajpayee had promised to form Chhattisgarh while addressing a massive public rally in Raipur and he fulfilled his promise in 2000 (the year the state came into existence)," he said.
Recalling his time with Vajpayee, Singh said he had the opportunity to work under the leadership of Vajpayee from 1999 to 2003 as a Union minister.
Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi says, "throughout his life, he stood for democratic values and demonstrated this commitment in all his acts whether as a parliaemntarian, a cabinet minister or PM."
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu says "nation has lost a great statesman". Describing Vajpayee as believer of national development, Naidu recalls the time during Kargil when Vajapayee's "statesmanship and great fighting spirit" were witnessed by him.
"I had a good rapport with him. We never had any difference," says Naidu.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expresses her heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the government, people and Vajpayee's family members.
In remembrance of the former PM , Hasina calls Vajpayee her friend and recalls his invaluable contribution to the Liberation War in 1971 and how the Bangladesh government had conferred on him the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour.
Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao mourned the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee referring him as India's most admired and respected 'Bhishma Pitamah'.
Reminiscing Vajpayee's oratory skills and his poetry, rao added, "In his demise, India has lost the most admired and respected 'Bhishma Pitamah' of public life; while I have lost my dearest leader."
He called Vajpayee as his "idol" and mian inpiration to enter into public life.
Pakistan government mourns Vajpayee's death and recalls his contributions in bringing a change in Indo-Pak relations and a key supporter of SAARC and regional cooperation for development.
After a sending his deep condolence via Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and referred to Vajpayee as India's 'anmol ratan'. 'We are at a loss of words. His demise has marked the end of an era. In Atal ji's passing away, it is as if I have lost my father. It's a void which can never be filled. My condolences are with his family. His simplicity will always aspire us,' said Modi.
"His loss is beyond words. It is an end of an era. He taught me the value of organisation and rule and gave me the strength and support for it. Whenever he would meet, he would offer a hug," says Modi.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee wrote to Vajpayee' adopted daughter Namita Bhattacharya and paid their condolences.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das expressed despair over Vajpayee's demise, calling Vajpayee his "guru" akin to his father. Das referred Vajpayee as the "creator" of Jharkhand and said the void would be impossible to fill.
Former Jharkhand chief minister and JMM president Shibu Soren said Vajpayee's demise has left an irreparable loss to politics.
Governor Droupadi Murmu said Vajpayee was not popular just in India but all over the world. He further said Vajpayee was known as a successful creator of coalition politics, never used disrespectful language and dedicated his life for the uplift and welfare of the country and mentioned the quadrilateral roads, Sarva Sikhsa Abhiyan, self-help groups, women's uplift and rural road works taken during his time.
On the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's, Central government announced a seven-day state mourning throughout India, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country. State funeral will also be accorded. Following the Central government's announcement, state government including Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Delhi declared mourning and declared a government holiday tomorrow.
BJP President Amit Shah holds a press conference and calls Vajpayee the pole star of the Indian sky. Shah claims it impossible to fill Vajpayee's absence in politics and hails Vajpayee's patriotism. 'Whatever Atal Ji spoke, he spoke in the favour of the country, be it his fight against the Emergency, his stand for Bangladesh or his effort in proliferating Hindi, he did not just work as the chief of the BJP but worked as a politician for the country. May the God give all of us the strength to cope with the demise of Atal ji,' says Shah.
'The country has lost its poet, its orator, the poor have lost its voice, and many youths have lost their inspiration with Atal Ji's demise,' says Shah.
Further, Shah informed at 9 am tomorrow, Vajpayee's mortal remains will be taken to BJP headquarters. At 1 pm his last journey will begin and the funeral will be held at 4 pm at Smriti Sthal.
Sharing Vajpayee's picture, NCP President Sharad Pawar hailed Vajpayee as one of India's greatest parliamentarians. "With the sad demise of Bharatratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, we have lost a great soul, an eloquent poet, orator par excellence, an excellent human being and one of the greatest Parliamentarians of India," Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party chief, wrote on Twitter.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar described Vajpayee as a leader who followed principles and had faith in the parliamentary democracy. "His oratory skill was unique. There cannot be another orator, leader and human being like him," Ajit Pawar said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described Vajpayee as a great parliamentarian, orator and a diplomat who ably presented India's rights in international platforms.
Governor P Sathasivam said, "With the loftiest ideals of statecraft, the noblest sense of diplomacy and a masterfully poetic oratory, he was a perfect synthesis of sage-like wisdom and modernism. May his soul rest in peace."
Counting traits of Vajpayee Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says, "the nation has lost, in his demise, a towering political personality, a brilliant orator, poet, writer and thinker.....his personality earned him the respect of all, beyond political divides".
"This is an end of a political era, the void of his absence can never be filled," says Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan called Vajpayee a "star in politics" and said even the opposition hold a sense of respect for him.
"Atal ji was like a star in the sky of politics, which shone brighter than everyone else. He had the unique ability to bring everyone together. Even if you ask the opposition they hold a sense of respect for him," says Mahajan.
US Embassy grieves with India over the demise of Vajpayee and recalls his "immense" contribution in bolstering US-India relations.
CPI leader Sitaram Yechury said that "though we opposed each other vehemently on political & ideological issues Atal Behari Vajpayee ji’s good-nature, decency and willingness to engage with all political leaders always made him stand out. Condolences."
Describing Vajpayee as "a reasoned critique in opposition and a seeker of consensus as PM," former president Pranab Mukherjee sent his condolences on Twitter. "Atal Ji was a democrat to the core. In his passing away, India has lost a great son and an era has come to an end. My deepest condolences," wrote Mukherjee.
Reminiscing Vajpayee's efforts to resolve decades-long hostility between Pakistan and India, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram says, "As long as he was at the helm, he resolutely anchored the BJP close to the middle and did not allow the party to swing to the extreme right of the political spectrum."
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram says, "It is not the fact that Vajpayee-ji had many friends, it is the fact that he had no enemies that was his distinguishing hallmark."
Chairman of Tata Trusts Ratan Tata expresses his sorrow over the demise of Vajpayee and says, "All of us who knew Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee are saddened to hear of his passing away. He was a great leader with a great sense of compassion and humour. He will be remembered fondly by a vast number of us."
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi sent out her condolences and fondly remembered an incident with Vajpayee when they were standing in the same queue for a boarding pass to take a flight and he smilingly acknowledged her greetings and patiently waited for his turn.
"India loses a stalwart and a very good human being who adorned the highest executive position," says Bedi.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje said, "India has lost its tallest leader of modern times, a political thinker whose wit was unparalleled and a champion of India - even when the motherland was marred by the emergency and had lost all hope."
"I remember those early days of BJP when under Atal ji and Rajmata ji I took my first steps into politics. Learning the ropes from the best, Atal ji’s wisdom and wit always proved to be an unmatched combination - his trademark style that India came to love," Raje wrote on Twitter.
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee expresses her grief and says, "Very very saddened that the great statesman and former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji is no more with us. His passing away is a very big loss to our nation. I will always cherish the many fond memories. Condolences to his family and his many admirers."
Former deputy prime minister L K Advani expressed his deep grief and sadness and called Vajpayee as his "senior colleague and closest friend for over 65 years".
Advani spoke of his long association with Vajpayee going back to the "days as Pracharaks of the RSS, to the inception of Bharatiya Jana Singh, the struggle of the dark months during the Emergency leading to the formation of Janata Party and later the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980."
"Atalji will be remembered as the pioneer of the first ever stable non-Congress coalition government at the Centre and I had the privilege of working as his deputy for six years," said Advani.