Vajpayee's 'asthi visarjan' in Haridwar on Sunday

The "asthi visarjan" (immersion of ashes in river) ritual of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be held on Sunday in Haridwar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Saturday.

The same ritual, thereafter, will be performed in 100 other "sacred rivers" of the country.

"The 'asthi visarjan' of Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be done tomorrow at Haridwar by the family members. Party President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will attend the ceremony.

"They will leave from Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun in the morning and the ritual will be performed in Haridwar in the afternoon," BJP spokesperson Bhupender Yadav told the media.

He said that mass prayer meetings in the memory of late Prime Minister will be organised in all states in 10-15 days, starting with one in Delhi on August 20. It will be held inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium between 4 p.m and 6 p.m at K.D. Jadhav Hall and will be attended by all parties.

"Since Atalji had a unique connection with Lucknow, a memorial will be held there also on August 23, to be attended by Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh and Atalji's family members. His ashes will also be immersed in the Gomti river the day," Yadav added.

--IANS

vn/nir