Ashes of former Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be immersed in rivers across the nation, with the top leaders of the country taking part in “Asthi Kalash Yatra” organized by the BJP. On Sunday, his ashes were immersed in river Ganga, at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. Top BJP leaders’ along with Atal Ji’s adopted daughter, were also present during the rituals performed in Haridwar.
UP CM Yogi announced that immersion of ashes of Atal Ji in holy Ganga will be followed by immersion at various other rivers of the country. As a part of Asthi Kalash Yatra, Home Minister of the country, Rajnath Singh, will bring the urn carrying ashes of Atal Ji in Lucknow on 23 August. After this, on 24th August from party’s state headquarters his ashes will be sent to 16 different places in order to immerse it in the major rivers of the states.
Former PM Atal Ji, had a very deep and special relation with Uttar Pradesh. As long as he was active in politics, he was MP from Lucknow seat. He studied in Kanpur and remained politically very active in UP. BJP reached to the pinnacle of power in UP because of his contribution.
On Friday, the cabinet minister in Yogi Government, Mohsin Raza will arrive in Kanpur with the ashes of Atal ji. Along with Raza, five other ministers including Suresh Khanna, Satish Mahana, Satyadev Pachauri will immerse the ashes at Brahmbhatt Ghat, Bithoor. The BJP workers are preparing with all enthusiasm in order to make Atal Ji’s Asthi Kalash Yatra memorable.
Even after his demise Atal Ji is bringing communities together. A Muslim minister will be carrying Atal Ji’s ashes proves the hollowness of lutyens’ media and intellectuals who often accuse BJP of being anti-Islam and communal. Earlier former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference (NC) president, Farooq Abdullah showered praises on Atal Ji at the all-party prayer meet. He said, “Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not the Wazir-e-Azam (head of state) now but was the king of everyone’s heart. He captured every Indians’ heart not with power but with love. I don’t think anyone had a heart as large as Atal Bihari. He never discriminated against any people on the basis of caste, ethnicity, religion or language.”
'That will be our biggest homage to Atal Bihari Vajpayee', says Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/zid6Jyf7XZ
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 22, 2018
Later on, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called Atal ji a messiah for the people of the Kashmir Valley. She said, “Atal ji was a great man and great human being and for us, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he was no less than a messiah. He was the first leader and Prime Minister who won the trust of people of Jammu and Kashmir and listened to the citizen of the state.”
In her address, she also recalled a conversation between her late father and Atal Ji, she said, “When my father apprised him of how people of Kashmir did not believe in the election process and thought it to be rigged, Atal ji assured from Red Fort that Jammu and Kashmir will have free and fair elections. It was him who for the first time made Jammu and Kashmir people believe in the democratic process.”
‘Ajatshatru’ of Indian politics passed away on 16th August at the age of 93. He was cremated with full state honor at Smriti Sthal on the banks of Yamuna river in Delhi.