Sukhu remembers Vajpayee, recalls his Himachal connection

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday paid floral tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his eighth death anniversary at The Ridge, and said the Bharat Ratna awardee had a special attachment with the state.

“Vajpayee used to visit his residence in Manali from time to time to spend his holidays. He believed in taking everyone along, a quality that is rarely seen in the present times. The entire country is remembering him with reverence today,” Sukhu said.

The nation and the state will always remember him for his services and valuable contributions to the nation, Sukhu said.

The first BJP leader to become the prime minister of India, Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior and died on August 16, 2018, in New Delhi.

During his tenure as the prime minister, Vajpayee oversaw nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998, and the Kargil War with Pakistan in 1999.