Govt issues gazette notification announcing demise of Vajpayee

New Delhi, Aug 17: The government has issued a gazette notification announcing the demise of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The notification, signed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, has been issued for public in both English and Hindi.

"The government of India announce, with profound sorrow, the death of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India at 1705 hours on 16th August, 2018 at AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi," it said.

A home ministry official said that according to rules, the death of a former prime minister is announced through a gazette notification and the procedure was followed this time too.

Vajpayee was accorded a state funeral this evening.

A seven-day state mourning was announced by the government as a mark of respect to Vajpayee. The national flag would fly at half-mast for seven days across India.

PTI