CM condoles Vajpayee’s demise, 7-day mourning in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Government has announced seven-day mourning in the State as a mark of respect to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who passed away on Thursday. All the Government offices and educational institutions in the State would remain closed on Friday- August 17. During the period of mourning, the national flag would fly half mast.

Expressing deep sorrow over the demise of Vajpayee,  Trivendra Singh Rawat said that an entire era has ended with his demise. He was not just one of the tallest leaders of the country but one of the greatest leaders the world has produced, he said in his condolence.  

Remembering Vajpayee, the CM said that he had a special weakness for U’khand and he used to visit Mussoorie, Dehradun and Nainital frequently.

“Atal ji not only formed the separate state of U’khand but also gave it a special category status and sanctioned a special industrial package. He also granted a special economic package for the treatment of Varanavarat landslides. The people of U’khand will always remain indebted for his special love for the state,” he said.

Recalling Vajpayee as a multi-faceted personality, the CM said that his oratorical skills had cast a magic spell on the people. He added that the life of Vajpayee was symbol of national pride. Besides, he   remained committed to the cause of the poor and the deprived all through his life, he said. 

“He was the first Foreign Minister of the country who addressed United Nations in Hindi. Atalji made the world aware of India’s strength when Pokhran nuclear tests were successfully conducted in 1998. The Indian army under his strong leadership wiped out the Pakistani intruders fully in Kargil,” CM  said.

Rawat added that the leadership of Vajpayee had given a new direction to the economy of the country and many important economic and infrastructural reforms had been brought about  when he was helming the Centre. He said that through ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ project, the network of highways had been established while rural roads had been developed through ‘Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna’.  Both these projects have played an important role in economic progress of the country, he said. “Vajpayee was a doyen of Indian politics. He has left us but his ideals and thinking will always give us inspiration,” he said.