The urn carrying ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee arrived at Birsa Munda airport on Wednesday evening. State BJP president laxman Gilua and general secretary Anant Ojha carried the urn handed over to them in Delhi by Union Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah in the morning.
Host of leaders including Ministers of the State Cabinet, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, several BJP MPs and MlAs and people from different walks of life accompanied the procession with the urn that was first taken to Carnival Hall, the venue where it was kept to pay homage by representatives of all political parties and social organisations. later it was taken to BJP State headquarters from where after paying homage it would be taken to Suvarnrekha River at Namkum on Thursday for immersion.
Governor Droupadi Murmu along with Chief Minister Raghubar Das received the urn at the Carnival Hall where during her speech she termed him a person with incredible talent. “He was a man with immense talent which is incredible for any leader. His qualities were so that we cannot even discuss all of those. Entire country is sad when he left us,” said Murmu.
Speaker Dinesh Oraon said his contributions to humanity, country and the State are impossible to assess. “He was committed to development of tribals throughout his political life. We should make sure to build Jharkhand of his dreams,” said Oraon.
Addressing the gathering the Chief Minister termed the iconic leader as unparallel in contemporary politics. “Atal Ji is still with us and would remain so in future. His dreams and ideals towards lives of common people would continue to guide us. Personalities like him emerge once in a century. He was not only an able orator but politician, human being and poet. His speeches influence people from road to Parliament. Imagination of Indian politics without him is incomplete,” said the CM.
The Chief Minister also recalled some of his memories associated with him along with Vajpayee’s association with Jharkhand. “He before coming to power in 1999 came to Ranchi in the course of the lok Sabha election campaign and promised to the people that ‘you give us MPd, I give you State’. As soon as he became PM Atal ji announced formation of Jharkhand along with two other States. His selfless politics without any desire or ego of power was the reason why leaders from different political parties came forward paying their tribute to him,” said the CM.
leader of Opposition Hemant Soren in his address termed the former PM a great man with great vision and guts to take all along. “Atal ji presented an example of political behavior for all of us. His ideas teach us against the tendency in which political opponents are mistreated and subjected to different types of atrocities. Vajpayee ji has always said that differences are boon to democracy,” said the JMM leader.
Ministers of State Jayant Sinha and Sudarshan Bhagat, Subodh Kant Sahay of the Congress, Supriyo Bhattacharya of the JMM, Yogendra Singh of JVM along with Padma Shri recipients Ashok Bhagat, Simon Oraon and several others were present and paid their tributes to the former PM.