Major arrangements made for immersion of Vajpayee's ashes

The immersion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ashes in the Ganga in Haridwar was a major event in the city. Even as top leaders and a number of people thronged the locations passed by the procession carrying the urn containing Vajpayee’s ashes, the national highway was blocked for two hours with traffic being diverted by the police.

The bus stand was shifted to Rishikul grounds and passengers coming from railway station had to walk an extra mile to catch public transport in order to reach their destination. People were seen walking with heavy bags on shoulders from the railway station to Rishikul grounds till the procession reached Har ki Paidi.

Meanwhile, cut-outs and placards of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s picture and those of local BJP workers were placed all along the route of Kalash Yatra which passed through major areas of the city. Sadly, a solemn occasion had become one big photo opportunity and a game of one upmanship, opined a local observer. Radhakrishnan, a retired BHEL employee said, “The amount these BJP walas spent on road show, if half of his would have been contributed to Kerala flood relief, it would have been a real tribute to the great man of the nation, Atal ji. It was absurd waste of money and show of vulgar strength.”