To build memorial for Vajpayee, NDA to scrap 2013 UPA law

New Delhi, Aug 17: In honour of Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government has decided to construct a separate samadhi cum memorial on the banks of Yamuna near Rajghat in New Delhi.

In 2013, while citing paucity of land, the UPA government had passed a law calling for the construction of a Rashtriya Samithi or common memorial for all former Prime Ministers of India who did not have memorials of their own.

In order to build a memorial for Vajpayee, the 2013 law will have to be overturned. Sources tell OneIndia that the Cabinet would take a decision to overturn this law when it meets next. The source said that a memorial would come up near the Rajghat and the law would be scrapped in order to facilitate this.

The government has announced a 7 day mourning from August 16 to 22. The flag will fly at half mast and Vajpayee will be accorded a state funeral, the government has also decided.

Memorials in Delhi:

• Mahatma Gandhi- Rajghat
• Jawaharlal Nehru-Shanti Vana
• Indira Gandhi-Shakti Sthal
• Lal Bahadur Shastri- Vijay Ghat
• Jagjivan Ram- Samta Sthal
• Choudhary Charan Singh- Kisan Ghat
• Rajiv Gandhi- Veer Bhumi
• Giani Zail Singh- Ekta Sthal
• Shankar Dayal Sharma- Karma Bhumi
• Devi Lal- Sangharsh Shal
• P V Narasimha Rao- P V Ghat
• Chandra Shekhar- Jannayak Sthal
• I K Gujral- Smriti Sthal