To condole the death of former PM, several shops & business establishments remained closed as mark of respect
Rich tributes were paid to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at condolence meetings held by BJP, Congress and other political parties across Hadouti region on Friday. Kota, being a bastion of the BJP, was frequented by Vajpayee.
Recalling an incident which reflects greatness of Vajpayee, Dr Laxman Lal Gujar of SMS medical hospital in Jaipur, said in 1989 he addressed a meeting at Azad Park in Bundi in which he referred to the then opposition leader as ‘Shri’ Rajiv Gandhi. A local in the crowd stood up and objected to Vajpayee using prefix ‘Shri’ for Gandhi. Vajpayee immediately reprimanded that leader and said, “we have the ideological differences Congress not a personal enmity and we cannot stop respecting them”.
Veteran Congress leader and former deputy speaker in Rajasthan state assembly Ramnarayan Meena said Vajpayee belonged to the country not to a political party.
Recalling one of his meetings with him when he forwarded a proposal to link railway line from Bundi to Nasirabad in Ajmer, Meena said, “Vajpayeeji termed the proposal very good for development of the area and assured me to act on it but unfortunately his government could last for 13 months.”
People in Kota recalled Vajpayee loved Kota Kachori and during his visit to Kota, he would never miss relishing Kota Kachoris.
It was only Vajpayee who had courage to appreciate Mrs Indira Gandhi claiming that the nation was safe and secure in the hands of Mrs Gandhi, said Madan Madir, a colleague of ex-defence minister George Fernandes and leader of Janata Dal in Bundi. Moreover, In Delhi, thousands of mourners jostled and some clambered on trees to capture the moment on their phones as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cortege left the BJP’s headquarters for Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for the last rites of the poet-politician.
VIVID MEMORIES OF VAJPAYEE’S VISIT
Ex-PM Cuts Alwar Kalakand On B’Day
The very memory that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had once celebrated his birthday in Behror in the year 2002 made people of Alwar district happy. Vajpayee was the prime minister at the time. Due to dense fog, the then PM’s plane was unable to reach Delhi and was diverted to Jaipur instead. Vajpayee decided to leave for Delhi via road. While passing Kotputli, the convoy stopped at the Behror midway at 12:30 am on the request of the officials accompanying him. Vajpayee celebrated his birthday by cutting the famous kalakand of Alwar as the cake.
Alwar Lawyer & Others Pay Tribute
A lawyer Mahendra Bhati working in Ajmer District Court paid tribute to the former PM by offering his hair. Bhati said that a leader like him will not be born again in the country, he was dear to all. At the same time, the people of the Ajaymeru Tourist Taxi Union also mourned the demise of Vajpayee and payed tribute by laying a wreath in front of his picture. The union members wished that his soul rest in peace and observed two-minute silence. Union President Srinath Pathak said that Atal Ji will be remembered by India for the whole life.
When Vajpayee Visited Jhunjhunu
Memories of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Jhunjhunu visit are still fresh in the minds of the residents. Vajpayee had visited the district four times, out of which, he came to the city twice and addressed the locals with elections being the focus. It was during the second time that he visited the place as the PM. Veteran Jan Sanghi Advocate Sanwar Mal Verma said that in the meeting of Udaipurwati, Vajpayee had asked the youth to get associated with him. Now, when he has left the world, the whole world is eager to take inspiration from him.
MP Of Bharatpur Shares Experience
One vivid memory describing what made former PM a simple and generous man was shared by a former MP of Bharatpur Pandit Ramkishan, who is also 90 years old. Pandit Ramkishan said that despite being a minister, Atal ji slept in the lawn with him. It was during 1977-78 when by-election took place due to the demise of Janata Party MLA Umrao Dhawariya in Bhilwara. When Pandit arrived at Circuit House, there was no room for him, soon Vajpayee also left his room and came to the lawn to accompany Pandit.
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