Atal Bihari Vajpayee cremated, last rites performed by daughter Namita

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was cremated at Delhi’s Smriti Sthal on Friday as political leaders from all spectrums paid tribute to the former prime minister. The last rites of the BJP veteran were performed by his foster daughter Namita Bhattacharya. Thousands had gathered on Delhi roads earlier in the day to join Vajpayee’s funeral procession. Vajpayee died at AIIMS hospital in the national capital on Thursday. The Centre has announced seven-day state mourning over his demise while Delhi schools remained shut today as a mark of respect. Here are the highlights:

Updated on: Aug 17, 2018, 23:43:12 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By HT Correspondent

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6:45pm IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and President Ram Nath Kovind look on during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s funeral ceremony at Smriti Sthal, New Delhi. (Ajay Aggarwal/HT Photo)

Vajpayee’s ashes to be spread in Ganga, Yamuna, Tapti

Ashes of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be spread in every river in Uttar Pradesh including Ganga, Yamuna, and Tapti, to respect his grand stature: UP government

Ashes of former prime minister #AtalBihariVajpayee will be spread in every river in Uttar Pradesh including Ganga, Yamuna, and Tapti, to respect his grand stature: UP government pic.twitter.com/UC2pW12CIq

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 17, 2018

6:20pm IST

Singapore says Vajpayee a ‘selfless and visionary’ leader

Singapore condoles Vajpayee’s death, describing him as a selfless and visionary leader. “Deepest condolences to the government and people of India on the passing away of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is of Indian origin, wrote in the condolence book at the Indian High Commission in New Delhi.

“Mr Vajpayee was a selfless and visionary leader who made great contributions to India, transforming her economy and elevating her standing in the region and the world,” Balakrishnan said.

6:00pm IST

Man thrashed for opposing Vajpayee tribute

BJP corporators in Aurangabad thrash a Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (MIM) member who opposed a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, an official said.

5:45pm IST

People travelled from far-off distances to see Vajpayee one last time

A man from Uttar Pradesh rode a scooter, another flew in from Tamil Nadu, and many travelled by trains and buses to bid farewell to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Aakash Kumar, standing outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi, told PTI he had been waiting for hours to see Vajpayee one last time. “The flowers I have brought have dried up in this heat,” he said.

5:30pm IST

Vajpayee ‘architect’ of India’s China policy, says Chinese scholars

From the 1998 nuclear tests that angered China to initiating a new boundary talks mechanism in 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is regarded as an architect of India’s China policy, Chinese scholars told news agency PTI. “During Vajpayee’s rule, India-China relations improved a lot. After his visit in 2003, India-China relations improved quite fast in the political, economic and cultural field,” Ma Jiali, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at China Reform Forum said.

5:15pm IST

Foreign dignitaries from Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan at funeral

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Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistan acting law minister Syed Ali Zafar, Nepal Foreign Minister Pradip Kumar Gyawali and EAM Sushma Swaraj at funeral of #AtalBihariVajpayee pic.twitter.com/vyuYiBGf6e