Vajpayee tallest Indian I worked with: Punjab ex-CM

Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday mourned former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death and said he was the "tallest Indian I worked with and one of the greatest statesmen on the world stage".

"India will forever remember Vajpayee ji as a symbol of peace, communal harmony and India's rich diversity," the Shiromani Akali Dal patron said in a condolence message here.

The SAD is an ally in the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP.

"He (Vajpayee) represented the spirit of India like very few others. India today has lost a sagacious statesman and perhaps her most glorious yet humblest son. It will take a long long while to fill the void created by this loss," Badal, a five-time Chief Minister of Punjab, added.

Recalling then Prime Minister Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore in February 1999, the Akali leader said it symbolised courage as did his approach to the Kashmir issue.

Badal said he was deeply impressed by the sobriety, patience and compassion which Vajpayee brought to bear in his approach to solving vexed problems facing the country.

Vajpayee, 93, died in New Delhi on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

--IANS

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