Last rites of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to be performed today

New Delhi:The last rites of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be performed at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in New Delhi at 4 PM today. The 93-year old iconic BJP leader, who passed away at AIIMS yesterday evening, will be given State funeral.

 

The body of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been kept at his official residence - 6 A, Krishna Menon Marg, where people can pay homage to the departed leader from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM.

 

His body then will be taken to the BJP Headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg at 9 AM where people can pay their last respects. BJP President Amit Shah said, the funeral procession will leave Party Headquarters at 1 PM and the last rites will be performed at 4 PM.

 

A 7-day state mourning has been announced as a mark of respect to the departed leader. In a circular Home Ministry said, the national flag will fly half mast across the country till 22nd of this month. National flag will also fly half mast at all Indian missions abroad today. A half-day holiday has been declared in all offices of central government and central public sector undertakings today.

 

Delhi government offices, schools and institutions will remain closed today. Most of the state governments have also declared holiday today as mark



of respect to Vajpayee. 

 

Several roads in the national capital will be closed for public from 8 AM today in view of funeral. These include Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh Road, Tughak Road, Akbar Road, Tees January Marg, Man Singh Road, Bhagwan Dass Raod, Shahjahan Road and Sikandra Road.

 

Traffic Police said, DDU Marg, IP Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg (from Tilak Bridge to Delhi Gate), Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate) will also remained closed.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kiriella, will attend former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement,  American people stand with the people of India as we mourn Prime Minister Vajpayee’s passing. He said, we hold the people of India in our thoughts and prayer. 

Pompeo said our bilateral relationship continues to benefit from PM Vajpayee’s vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation. He said Vajpayee, recognized early on that US & India, based on their shared democratic values, could develop a partnership that would contribute to economic prosperity & security of the region & the world.