Delhi BJP takes out Vajpayee's 'Asthi Kalash Yatra'

The Delhi unit of the BJP today took an urn carrying the ashes of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a procession through the city.

Scores of BJP leaders and workers participated in the 'Asthi Kalash Yatra', chanting slogans of "Jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Vajpayee ji amar rahenge" (Till the sun and moon stay, so will Vajpayee).

The procession, led by BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari, began from the party's Pant Nagar office and will conclude in Delhi Cantt, party leaders said.

Several senior party leaders, including Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel, Meenakshi Lekhi and Vijender Gupta, participated in the yatra which passed through Paharganj, Karol Bagh and R K Puram.

Ashes of the late prime minister, who died on August 16 after prolonged illness, are being taken out in all districts and will be immersed in rivers across the country.

Many immersion ceremonies were carried out yesterday. The BJP central leadership's plan to immerse the ashes in about 100 major rivers countrywide drew some criticism from the opposition Congress, which accused the BJP of trying to make political capital out of Vajpayee's death .