Death and state funeral of Atal Bihari Vajpayee

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Death and state funeral of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee tribute image.jpg
Official portrait, 2004
Date16 August 2018 (2018-08-16)
(date of death)
17 August 2018
(date of state funeral)
Location AIIMS, Delhi
(death)
Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, Delhi
(state funeral)

On 16 August 2018, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the 10th prime minister of India, died due to various health complications at the age of 93. He was given a state funeral on 17 August 2018. His lying in state occurred at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in Delhi.

Contents

Background

Vajpayee had a stroke in 2009, which impaired his speech. [1] His health had been a major source of concern; reports said he was reliant on a wheelchair and failed to recognize people. He also had dementia and long-term diabetes.[ citation needed ] For many years, he had not attended any public engagements and rarely ventured out of the house, except for checkups at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. [1] [2]

On 11 June 2018, Vajpayee was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Science in New Delihi, India in critical condition following a kidney infection. [3] [4] He was officially declared dead there at 5:05 pm IST on 16 August 2018 at the age of 93. [5] [6] Some sources claim that he had died on the previous day. [7] [8]

State funeral

Vajpayee's funeral procession moving to Smriti Sthal near Raj Ghat for last rites. Atal Bihari Vajpayees Funeral Procession.jpg
Vajpayee's funeral procession moving to Smriti Sthal near Raj Ghat for last rites.

On the morning of 17 August, Vajpayee's body, draped with the Indian flag, was taken to the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters where party workers paid their tributes until 1 pm. Later that afternoon at 4 pm, Vajpayee was cremated with full state honours at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal near Raj Ghat, and his pyre was lit by his foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya. [9] [10] Thousands of people and many dignitaries attended his funeral procession, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind. [11] [12] On 19 August, his ashes were immersed in Ganga river at Haridwar by Namita. [13] [14]

Reactions

India reacted to Vajpayee's death with grief and thousands of tributes poured in through social media platforms. Thousands of people paid their respects during his funeral procession. [15] A seven-day state mourning was announced by the central government throughout India. The national flag flew half-mast during this period. [16]

Memorial

Prime Minister Modi paying tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial. Prime Minister Modi at Sadaiv Atal.jpg
Prime Minister Modi paying tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial.

Government of India has built the memorial of Vajpayee at Raj Ghat named Sadaiv Atal.

See also

References

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