Modi, Shah lead host of leaders in paying homage to Vajpayee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday led a host of leaders in paying homage to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose body was lying in state at his residence after it was brought from the hopsital.

Officers from three forces draped the body in the Tricolour before enabling people to pay their last respects at his residence in central Delhi's Krishna Menon Marg.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vashundhra Raje, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh were among those who paid homage to the late leader at his residence.

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Yoga guru Swami Ramdev also paid homage.

Yashwant Sinha, who held the finance and external affairs minister portfolio in Vajpayee's cabinet, alsp paid tributes to the former prime minister.

Later Modi consoled foster daughter Namita, foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya, other members of the foster family and his long-time associate Shiv Kumar.

Vajpayee, a founder member of the BJP and the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office, died at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Thursday after prolonged illness. He was 93.

--IANS

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