End of an era: PM Modi expresses grief over Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death

New Delhi: The nation mourns the death of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who died at 93.

He breathed his last on Thursday, August 16.

Soon after the news of his death became public, President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter and said, “Atalji, the Gentle Giant, will be missed by one and all.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent out heartfelt tweets after the former prime minister passed. “I am speechless, I am in a vacuum, but my emotions overflow. Our beloved Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee is no more with us. He spent each moment of his life for the country. His passing is the end of an era.”

He further said: “It was due to the perseverance and struggles of Atalji that BJP was built brick by brick. He travelled across the length and breadth of India to spread the BJP’s message, which led to the BJP becoming a strong force in our national polity and in several states.”

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also condoled the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he will be remembered for his remarkable leadership and devotion to duty.

He will be remembered for ushering in the connectivity revolution in the country. His personality, oratory, devotion to duty and friendliness all combined in his remarkable leadership will be remembered for a along time to come," Naidu said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also expressed profound grief at Vajpayee’s death and called him “star in the sky of politics”.

“Atal ji was like a star in the sky of politics, which shone brighter than everyone else. He had the unique ability to bring everyone together. Even if you ask the opposition they hold a sense of respect for him,” Mahajan said.

Condoling the death of Vajpayee, former president Pranab Mukherjee said that India had lost a great son and an era had come to an end. He also described the BJP stalwart as a reasoned critique in the opposition and a seeker of consensus as prime minister.

BJP president Amit Shah described the former prime minister as “multifaceted” and “pole star of the Indian sky.”

“The nation lost a tall leader, BJP lost its first National President, crores of youth lost their inspiration. It is impossible to fill that void,” Shah added.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also expressed his sorrow over the death of former PM and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Expressing his sorrow, former vice president Mohd Hamid Ansari said, “Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an eminent statesman known for his wisdom moderation intact. His way of communication was unique and made him extremely popular. This kind of a person comes once in a blue moon. He will be remembered for a long time.”

Calling Vajpayee “an outstanding parliamentarian and a great Prime Minister”, former prime minister Manmohan Singh also mourned the death of Atal Bihari.

“I have learnt with profound sorrow about the sad demise of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji.  An excellent orator, an impressive poet, an exceptional public servant, an outstanding parliamentarian and a great Prime Minister,” he said.

Remembering the BJP stalwart, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “He worked in the national interest rather than personal interest. He brought a political stability to our country. His ashes will be spread in every river in UP to respect his grand stature.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan echoed PM Modi’s sentiments and said, “Vajpayee ji was a great politician and loved by millions. It's unimaginable to think that our beloved Atal Ji is no more with us. This is an end of a political era, the void of his absence can never be filled”.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed sadness over Vajpayee’s death and said, “He may be not with us physically but his vision will always be with us, losing a person whom we always looked up to is a personal loss for all of us and I am sure we will always take inspiration from his ideology.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also condoled the death of Vajpayee and said his passing away is a big loss to the country. “I will always cherish the many fond memories,” Banerjee, who was the Railways minister in Vajpayee government, tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had appealed to his party's volunteers and well-wishers to avoid celebrating his birthday today, also condoled the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said his death was "a great loss" for the country.

Expressing grief, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “I am deeply grieved at the sad demise of Vajpayee Ji. India has lost one of its tallest leaders."

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav described Vajpayee’s death as a “big loss for country” and added “he was a very simple man in spite of being such a senior leader. There was not even a shred of arrogance in him. Present leaders need to learn a lot from him.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condoled the death of Vajpayee and said, “The demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is not only a loss for the country, it is big loss for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He was the first Prime Minister to understand the agony of our people.”

The United States also expressed heartfelt condolences over the death of Vajpayee.

The United States embassy in India said, “United States grieves with India on the loss of former prime minister Atal BihariVajpayee.  He will be remembered for his immense contribution in bolstering US-India relations.”

“During his tenure, Prime Minister Vajpayee advocated for robust partnership with the United States, referring to us as “natural allies.”  The US Mission in India extends our deepest condolences to the family of former Prime Minister Vajpayee and the citizens of India,” it added.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died at the AIIMS hospital in Delhi Thursday evening at the age of 93 following a prolonged illness.