Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains consigned to flames with full state honours | As it happened

The mortal remains of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were consigned to flames at Smriti Sthal in Delhi on Friday.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other dignitaries from India and abroad were present during the funeral of Vajpayee.

93-year-old Vajpayee breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he was undergoing treatment since June 11.

In pics: Charismatic Vajpayee no more, a trip down memory lane

Vajpayee, the three-term prime minister, was admitted to AIIMS on June 11 with a variety of ailments including kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

Vajpayee, who joined the Rastriya Swamsevak Sangha (RSS) in 1947 rose through ranks to become a stalwart of the BJP and was the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term in office.

Alvida Atal: Highlights of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral ceremony

4:56 pm: Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains consigned to flames amidst slogans of 'Atal Bihari Amar Rahe' with full state honours at Smriti Sthal

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4:48 pm: Vajpayee's daughter Namita performing last rites of Vajpayee

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4:40 pm: Vajpayee's mortal remains, wrapped in tricolour, handed over to his granddaughter Niharika

4:25 pm: Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Rahul Gandhi present at the Smriti Sthal

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4:20 pm: We are here to share your grief and pay our condolences on the behalf of people of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan: Pakistan Law Minister Ali Zafar after arriving in Delhi Vajpayee's funeral

4:16 pm: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, PM Narendra Modi, Former PM Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President Amit Shah, senior BJP leader LK Advani, Congress President Rahul Gandhi at Smriti Sthal in Delhi for funeral of former PM 

4:15 pm: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan pay last respects to former PM Vajpayee at Smriti Sthal in Delhi

4:14 pm: President Kovind pays his last respects to departed leader

4:04 pm: PM Modi places wreath on the mortal remains of  Vajpayee at Smriti Sthal

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​4:00 pm: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, pay last tribute to former PM Vajpayee at Smriti Sthal

3:55 pm: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Ashok Gehlot and Raj Babbar, present at Smriti Sthal for the funeral of former PM Vajpayee

3:50 pm: PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah also arrive at Smriti Sthal along with the funeral procession.

3:48 pm: Vajpayee's mortal remains arrive at Smriti Sthal

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03:24 pm: Preparations underway at Smriti Sthal for the cremation of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee

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03:29 pm: Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai arrives in Delhi for attending the funeral of former PM Vajpayee

03:20 pm: ​Union Jack flies at half-mast at the British High Commission in New Delhi as a mark of respect to Former PM Vajpayee

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03:10 pm: Delhi Traffic Police issues advisory for commuters in view of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral procession.

02:58 pm: Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral procession has now reached Delhi Gate. The 4-km stretch between BJP headquarters and Rashtriya Smriti Sthal is packed with thousands of people who just want to get a glimpse of their favourite leader. 

02:22 pm: PM Narendra Modi other BJP leaders walking along the gun carriage carrying Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where the leader's funeral will take place. 

02:03 pm: The mortal remains of Atal Bihari Vajpyee are being taken to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where his final rites will take place. 

01:30 pm: The American people mourn with the people of India on the passing of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. May his soul rest in peace, says American Embassy in New Delhi in a tweet.

01:05 pm: Huge crowd outside BJP headquarters at DDU Marg. People try to force their way into the building by removing the barricades to get one last glimpse of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

12:25 pm: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali arrive in Delhi to attend Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral.

12:15 pm:  Veteran BJP leader LK Advani and his daughter Pratibha Advani with Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family have also reached BJP headquarters to pay their last respects to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

12:07 pm: Long queues of people could be seen outside the BJP headquarters as they wait to get one last glimpse of their favourite leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

11:52 am: King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk arrives in Delhi to attend the funeral of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

11:37 am: He (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) wanted India to be everybody's. He also wanted to strike up a friendship with Pakistan. Unfortunately, he couldn't see that. I hope that the current government and Pakistan's Imran Khan government fulfill his dream, that will be a true tribute to him, says former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah. 

11:30 am: DMK leader A Raja, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Manipur CM N Biren Singh pay last respects to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at BJP headquarters.

11:20 am: PM Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh pay last respects to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at BJP headquarters.

11:05 am: Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Atal Bihari Vajpayee: "Atalji was a definite statesman. Someone who never treated political opponent like enemies, which is missing now...jab main Parliamentary Affairs Minister thaa tab wo Leader of Opposition the aur bade hone ke bawjood mere kamre me kai baar khud aa jaate the."

10:58 am: PM Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and other top party leaders are waiting outside the BJP headquarters to receive Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains.

10:57 am: The funeral procession would leave the BJP headquarters at 1 pm and the last rites would be performed at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal at 4 pm.

10:56 am: Amid chants of 'Atal Bihari Amar Rahe', a decorated gun carriage carrying the mortal remains of Vajpayee, who passed away at AIIMS on Thursday evening, left for the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Updadhyay Marg around 10 am.

10:55 am: The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee are being taken to the BJP headquarters from his residence on the Krishna Menon Marg with people in large numbers joining the procession.

10:44 am: WATCH VIDEO: When Narendra Modi ran like a child to hug 'father figure' Vajpayee

10:38 am: Meanwhile, The West Bengal government has declared a half-day holiday in its offices and educational institutions on Friday as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday (August 16) evening in New Delhi at the age of 93.

10:18 am: People chanting 'Atalji Amar Rahein' as Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains being carried to BJP headquarters at DDU Marg from the former PM's house at 6A Krishna Menon Marg

10:00 am: Vajpayee's mortal remains being taken to BJP HQ, huge crowd along the way

9:06 am: PM Modi pens down emotional blog for Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Read here

9:00 am: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:53 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:37 am: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:35 am: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:30 am: Army Chief Bipin Rawat pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:14 am: Delhi police has made elaborate security arrangements for the last rites procession. It will be ensured that the people who come to pay last respect & the commuters face minimum inconvenience & that there is no compromise with security: Delhi DCP Madhur Verma 

8:09 am: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pays tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

8:05 am: Javed Akhtar & Shabana Azmi arrive at former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence to pay last respects. Javed Akhtar says,'very rare that a politician is respected across party lines. People with different ideology have also come as they love him because he used to love all' 

7:44 am: Kerala governor P. Sathasivam & Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit pay tributes to former Prime Minister #AtalBihariVajpayee at his residence in Delhi.

Vajpayee's death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital where he was admitted June 11 with a variety of ailments.

"It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Former Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at 05:05 PM," the AIIMS said in a statement.

It said his condition was stable for the last nine weeks, but "unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems."

As it became clear that the end was near, a host of politicians and well-wishers began gathering at AIIMS since morning. A pall of gloom descended at the BJP headquarters as soon the news of Vajpayee's demise broke.

A master orator, Vajpayee used witty remarks with aplomb for political satire on his opponents that often won him accolades and hearts of many.

With his one-liners, he often trumped the questioner that helped tide over tough questions posed to him and defuse the situation.

Several roads in Delhi to be closed in view of Vajpayee's funeral, schools shut

​Some of the roads that will be closed from 8 am today are Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh Road, Tughlak Road, Akbar Road, Tees January Marg, Man Singh Road, Bhagwan Dass Road, Shahjahan Road and Sikandara Road.

DDU Marg, IP Marg, BSZ Marg (from Tilak Bridge to Delhi Gate), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate) will also be closed, the traffic police said.
Commuters have been advised to use Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg to travel between north and south Delhi.

Those travelling between east and west Delhi can use Vikas Marg, Shahdara Bridge and Wazirabad Bridge to reach Ring Road. 

 

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday announced that all the schools and offices in the national capital will remain closed on Friday as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"All Delhi govt. offices, schools and other institutions shall remain closed tomorrow, as a mark of respect for our dear departed Sh Atalji (sic)," Sisodia said in a tweet.

In another tweet, he said: "All schools including private schools shall also remain closed."

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