Vajpayee played vital role in ensuring Sri Lanka's stability: Lankan leaders

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have condoled the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said the former Indian prime minister played a vital role in ensuring stability of the island nation.

Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders and inspirational orators, died yesterday at the age of 93 in New Delhi.

Sirisena took to Twitter to condole the death of Vajpayee and said: "Today, we have lost a great humanist and a true friend of Sri Lanka. Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a visionary leader and an ardent defender of democracy. My condolences to his family and millions of his admirers around the world."