Vajpayee's ashes immersed in Imphal River

The ashes of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were brought here today from Delhi by Rajya Sabha MP K Bhabananada Singh and immersed in Imphal River by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The urn containing the ashes was first taken to the BJP main office at Nityai Pat Chuthek, where floral tributes were paid to the departed leader by hundreds of people, including top civil and police officers.

The chief minister, along with cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs and other BJP leaders, then carried the urn to City Convention Centre, where a prayer meeting was held to pay homage to the visionary leader.

During the prayer meet, Governor Najma Heptulla exhorted people to follow his ideals.

"I think if we really want to pay tribute to him, we should follow his path and serve the nation without any expectation. He died without any property or land," she said.

Recalling her association with Vajpayee, especially when she was the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, Heptulla said the former prime minister was a "true human being who believed in commitments".

The CM, too, remembered Vajpayee as a warm-hearted leader and a parliamentarian, who never differentiated people on the basis of caste, creed and wealth.

"A person's greatness and contribution to the nation is visible more clearly only when he passes away," Singh said.

The ashes were immersed around 4pm in Imphal River near Sanjenthong Bridge, around 1 km from the City Convention Centre.

Vajpayee passed away on August 16 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi at the age of 93 following prolonged illness.

The BJP has decided to take out yatras with urns carrying ashes of the party stalwart in all states for immersion in rivers across the country.