7-day mourning; Vajpayee''s last rites on Friday evening

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16 

Right till 5.05 pm when he breathed his last and beyond, senior BJP leaders kept a continuous and close vigil around Atal Bihari Vajpayee — India’s most popular and loved prime minister of the contemporary times— at AIIMS and later personally supervising arrangements for his last journey.

The party, meanwhile, cancelled all its programmes, including the national executive scheduled for later this week, as the Union Cabinet declared state mourning for seven days till August 22.

After the last rest at his 6 Krishna Menon Marg residence—Vajpayee’s home for more than a decade now—the man credited for the blooming of lotus in India will be taken to the BJP’s headquarters to allow the people to pay their respects.

The last rites will be conducted at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of Yamuna—the designated spot for the cremation of presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers. BJP president Amit Shah said last rites will be take place at 4 pm. 

The government has announced 7-day state mourning following the demise of Vajpayee. The national flag will be flown at half mast for seven days across India, it said, adding that a state funeral to be accorded to Vajpayee.

It also declared a half day holiday in all central government offices, central public sector undertakings across the country and the Delhi government offices of NCT of Delhi.