Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's foster-daughter Namita Bhattacharya lit his funeral pyre amidst the chanting of vedic hymns and firing of a 21-gun salute by soldiers at Delhi’s Smriti Sthal on Friday, 17 August.
And Twitter erupted in applause for Namita on sending a “strong message of gender equality”!
Vajpayee’s Services to the Nation Will be Remembered: Manmohan Singh
Former prime minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh, in his letter to Namita on 16 August, said Vajpayee was a "great patriot" and people from all walks of life, irrespective of their political leanings, loved and respected him.
He said Vajpayee proved his ability both nationally and internationally and helped India improve its ties with many countries, including its neighbours.
I have learnt with profound sorrow about the sad demise of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. An excellent orator, an impressive poet, an exceptional Public Servant, an outstanding Parliamentarian and a great Prime Minister, Shri Vajpayee ji stood among the tallest leaders of modern India, who spent his whole life serving our great country. His services to our nation will be remembered for a long time to come.Manmohan Singh’s letter
Vajpayee, he added, was a great statesman who proved his ability, both at the national and international level, by improving India's relations with all countries, especially with its neighbours.
“His ability and personality were such that people from all walks of life, irrespective of their political leanings, loved and respected Shri Vajpayee ji. His services to our nation will be remembered for a long time to come,” Singh said in his letter to Bhattacharya.
He added that his wife joined him in conveying heartfelt condolences to her and other members of the family of Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders who led the nation through several crises and held together a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics.
After a period of prolonged illness, the Bharat Ratna awardee, passed away at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on 16 August at the age 93.
(With IANS and PTI inputs)
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