Vajpayee's last rites: BJP stalwart's ashes to be immersed in 'all holy rivers of UP'

New Delhi, Aug 17: With the last rites of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16, set to be held at 4 pm today (August 17), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the ashes of the veteran leader would be submerged in all the holy rivers of the state.

The government has announced a 7 day mourning from August 16 to 22 after the passing away of former prime minister and Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee's mortal remains have been kept at his Krishna Menon Marg residence on Delhi where leaders cutting across party lines are puring in to pay their tributes.

"The ancestral home of Atal Ji is in Bateshwar, he also studied at DAV College in Kanpur. He became Member of Parliament from Balrampur for the first time ever in his political career post which he won many times from Lucknow and went on to become the Prime Minister of the nation. The state government will preserve all the memories related to Atal Ji in some form or the other," a News 18 report quoted Adityanath as saying after paying his tributes the the BJP stalwart.

"Also the ashes of Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be immersed in all the holy rivers of the state," he added.

Vajpayee passed away following prolonged illness on Thursday evening. He was 93 years old. The BJP veteran was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

The last rites of the former prime minister will take place at 4 pm on Friday at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in New Delhi.