Chennai: Chief Minister Eddapadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam, DMK working president M. K. Stalin and a host of leaders paid homage to the ashes of former Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee that were kept at Kamalalayam – BJP state headquarters here on Thursday.
Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan received Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam at the party office upon their arrival. They also received Leader of the Opposition in the TN Assembly Stalin when he came to pay floral tributes.
DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, former Union ministers: T. R. Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran, besides PMK MP Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, were also among the leaders who paid tributes to Vajpayee’s ashes.
Mr. Stalin was first among the leaders to visit the BJP party office to pay his homage to the urns kept near a decorated portrait of the late leader and three-times Prime Minister. Later, his sister, Ms. Kanimozhi arrived at the BJP office to pay her homage and soon the CM and Deputy CM and other leaders arrived at Kamalalayam.
Besides the party workers and traders a large number of members of the public and school students too paid their homage on the occasion.
The urns containing the BJP stalwart’s ashes were brought to the city on Wednesday evening from New Delhi by party seniors, for homage on Thursday. The ashes will be taken in a procession, ‘Atal Kalash Yatra’ and simultaneous immersed on August 26 at six locations in Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Tiruchi and Bhavani in Erode. The BJP would also be organising ‘Shradhanjali’ during the Yatra.
