Rich tributes paid to Vajpayee, Kalash Yatra from today

Thousands of people from all walks of life paid homage to late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Bharatiya Janata Party State office here on Thursday. The urns containing the ashes of the departed leader were kept at the party office for the people to pay their last respects. Four urns containing the ashes of Vajpayee were kept on a platform decorated with flowers at the assembly hall of the party head office. Many people were seen getting emotional while offering floral tributes to Vajpayee known as the creator of Uttarakhand. Members of Muslims and Sikh communities also attended the programme in large number.

The BJP State chief Ajay Bhatt, state in charge Shyam Jaju, national secretary Teerath Singh Rawat, cabinet Ministers, Member of Parliaments and other senior party leaders offered their last respects to the late PM.

Kalash Yatra

As per the directions of the BJP’s central leadership, the state  party unit would start four ‘Kalash Yatras’ on Friday. The BJP media in-charge Devendra Bhasin said that the first kalash yatra would start from the party office to Bageshwar on the wee hours of Friday. This Yatra would be headed by minister of state, Rekha Arya and state party vice- president Kailash Sharma. The yatra would pass through Ramnagar, Ranikhet, Binta, Someshwar and Kausani on way to Bageshwar where the ashes would be immersed in the Saryu river. Bhasin said that second yatra would commence from the state office and head towards Haldwani. The yatra would be led by cabinet minister Madan Kaushik and would cover Jaspur, Kashipur, Gadarpur and Rudrapur before it ends  in Haldwani where the ashes would be immersed in the Gaula river. The BJP media in-charge further said that the third yatra would head towards Badrinath and it would be led by cabinet minister Prakash Pant.

The yatra would start from the party office at 7.30 am and would cover Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag before taking a night halt at Joshimath. On  themorning of August 25, the yatra would head towards Badrinath where the ashes would be immersed at Alaknanda river.

Bhasin said that the fourth yatra would start from party office at 9 am. To be led by the cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal, the yatra would reach Triveni Ghat Rishikesh after passing through Natraj Chowk and Kailash Gate.  The MPs, MLAs and other party functionaries would participate in the yatra to be taken out across the State.