On Friday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid floral tribute to the statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Chief Minister’s residence, marking the anniversary of Vajpayee’s death. CM Dhami shared the moment on X, stating, “Paid tribute to the former Prime Minister and our source of inspiration, respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, who infused Indian politics with his democratic values, on his death anniversary at the Government Residence.”
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by Deputy CMs Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, also paid tribute to Vajpayee in Lucknow. CM Adityanath remarked, “Today marks the sixth death anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On this occasion, on behalf of the people of Uttar Pradesh and the state government, we honor his memory. Vajpayee’s ancestral village is in Bateshwar, Agra, and he completed his higher studies in Kanpur before joining the RSS and establishing himself as a writer and poet.”
In Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar attended a prayer meeting at ‘Sadaiv Atal,’ Vajpayee’s memorial, to pay their respects. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and other cabinet members also participated in the tribute.
Union Minister Amit Shah praised Vajpayee, highlighting his role in strengthening the country both strategically and economically during his tenure as Prime Minister.
Born in Gwalior in 1924, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a prominent figure in Indian politics and the BJP, becoming the first non-Congress Prime Minister to serve a full term. He served as Prime Minister from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. He was also India’s External Affairs Minister under Prime Minister Morarji Desai from 1977 to 1979. Vajpayee passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018.