RANCHI: Governor Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister Raghubar Das and several other leaders, cutting across party lines, paid tributes to the creator of Jharkhand during a condolence meeting organised here after the ashes of late BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee were brought to Ranchi on Wednesday.
The ashes were brought to Ranchi by state BJP president Laxman Gilua and Rajmahal MLA Anant Ojha after they were handed over by Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj at New Delhi in the morning.
Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, and several other leaders of all political parties paid glowing tributes to the late leader.
“The presence of leaders of all political parties, representatives of all social and religious organizations, businessmen and editors of all leading newspapers is a proof in itself that Atal ji’s life was a dedicated one and he sacrificed every particle of his body for the nation,” said the Chief Minister.
“Vajpayee had a close association with Jharkhand as the former PM had travelled the length and breadth of the State while being in the organization or in the Government,” Das added. Das said it was the duty of everyone in the state to help make Jharkhand a land of Vajpayee’s dreams.
“Vajpayee never went back on his words and promises even after coming to power at the Centre and the creation of Jharkhand was a proof of that,” said Das.
Vajpayee’s ashes will be immersed in the Suvarnrekha River at Namkum in Ranchi on August 23 in the presence of Das. On the next day, a similar programme would take place at Koyal River at Medininagar, Damodar River at Ramgarh, Ganga River at Sahibgunj and Suvarnrekha River at Bahragoda.