The 93-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader breathed his last at 5:05PM, said a notification from AIIMS.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on Thursday after being on life support systems for over two days.
The 93-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader breathed his last at 5:05PM, said a notification from AIIMS.
He was admitted at the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.
People from all walks of life prayed for his health, while special prayers were held in his 'karam bhoomi' Lucknow after the news spread that the veteran leader's health has deteriorated.
His mortal remains were brought to his residence.
Vajpayee, a diabetic, has only one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
The formal prime minister was born on December 25, 1924, in a middle-class Brahmin family of Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and Smt. Krishna Devi at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
He did his schooling at the Saraswati Gwalior's Shishu Mandir and graduation in Hindi, Sanskrit & English from the Victoria (now Laxmi Bai) College. He completed MA (Political Science) from the DAV College in UP's Kanpur.
Vajpayee was India's Prime Minister from May 16-31 in 1996; from 1998 to 1999 for a period of 13 months, and a full five-year term from October 13, 1999 to May 13, 2004.
In December 2005, he retired from politics. Vajpayee was conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015.
Prime Minister Modi described the passing away of his party's veteran as the "end of an era".
"India grieves the demise of our beloved Atal Ji. His passing away marks the end of an era. He lived for the nation and served it assiduously for decades. My thoughts are with his family, BJP Karyakartas and millions of admirers in this hour of sadness. Om Shanti," tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
In a thread of emotional statements on the micro-blogging site, he further wrote, "It was Atal Ji's exemplary leadership that set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century. His futuristic policies across various sectors touched the lives of each and every citizen of India."
Describing Vajpayee's death as "a personal loss", the Prime Minister further said, "Atal Ji's passing away is a personal and irreplaceable loss for me. I have countless fond memories with him. He was an inspiration to Karyakartas like me. I will particularly remember his sharp intellect and outstanding wit."
Prime Minister Modi was an ardent admirer of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Describing the former Prime Minister's contribution to the formation of BJP, he added, "It was due to the perseverance and struggles of Atal Ji that the BJP was built brick by brick. He travelled across the length and breadth of India to spread the BJP's message, which led to the BJP becoming a strong force in our national polity and in several states."
The 93-year-old Vajpayee breathed his last at 5:05 pm here on Thursday.
Announcing the demise, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in a press release wrote, "Shri Vajpayee was admitted in AIIMS on 11.06.2018 and was stable in the last 9 weeks under the care of a team of AIIMS doctors.
Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems. Despite the best of efforts, we have lost him today."
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "This is a very sad moment for us. Shortly his mortal remains will be taken to his residence where people can pay tribute to him."
Expressing his grief, Rajnath tweeted, "Pained beyond words at the demise of Shri Atalji. He had cherished the ideal of a developed and powerful India in which all persons lived together in unity, peace and harmony."
"Atalji was a true ‘Ajatshatru’ who had many friends across the political spectrum. He believed in political consensus and his beliefs had consequential effect on Indian politics," he further wrote.
"In Atalji’s demise the nation has lost a stalwart who was known for statesmanship and astute leadership. It is also a huge personal loss to me," the Home Minister tweeted, adding, "I am one of those millions of Indians who drew
inspiration from Atalji’s life and contribution. I cannot fully imagine my own life without following the footprints that Atalji set. May his soul rest in peace."
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who was MoS for External Affairs in the Vajpayee government, tweeted, "Vajpayee Sahib is no more & I feel a personal sense of loss at his passing. Thank you sir for the opportunities, for the trust you reposed in me, for the opportunities to travel with you & to learn from you. You will be greatly missed #AtalBihariVajpayee"
"Words mean so little at a time like this but words are all we have to convey the deepest condolences to Gunu, to Neha, to Ranjan & the entire family. May God give you strength to bear this tremendous loss. #AtalBihariVajpayee," he added.
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