Vajpayee's mortal remains reach BJP headquarters

The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on a decorated gun carriage, have reached the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.

Along the seven-kilometer stretch from Vajpayee's reisdence at Krishna Menon Marg to the BJP office, people in large number joined the procession to get a last glimpse of their leader, many of them chanting 'Atal Bihari amar rahe' (Long Live Atal Bihari) and 'Vande Mataram'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, party president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders were present when the cadaver reached the party office.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister PK Gyawal, Sri Lanka's acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Law Minister of Pakistan Ali Zafar are expected to arrive in the national capital today to pay their homage to the 'Iron Man' Vajpayee.

The Delhi Police had also made elaborate security arrangements for the last rites procession of Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday.

Vajpayee, the 10th prime minister of India who breathed his last on Thursday evening, will be cremated today with full state honour. Vajpayee's last rites are scheduled to be held at Smriti Sthal at 1:30 pm.

The 93-year-old BJP veteran breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday, here at All India Institutes of Medical Science (AIIMS) following a prolonged illness.

Vajpayee, who led the National Democratic Alliance government from 1998 to 2004, was the first-ever member of the BJP to become India's Prime Minister.

--ANI