#AtalJiForever: 5L to attend his funeral, last rites' details here
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on Thursday at 5 PM after getting treatment at AIIMS for around nine weeks. The last rites of the legendary leader will be held today, Friday, and around 5 lakh people are expected to arrive to pay their last respects. The Delhi Police have prepared for the funeral. Here's everything to know about it.
From BJP HQ to Smriti Sthal: Vajpayee's last journey
Vajpayee's body is kept at his official residence 6A Krishna Menon Marg, where people were allowed to pay homage to him. He will be taken to BJP's headquarters at around 9 AM. From the HQ in Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, the funeral procession will leave for Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, Delhi, at 1 PM. His funeral at Smriti Sthal will take place at 4 PM.
Smriti Sthal is located between Nehru and Shashtri's memorial
Smriti Sthal is located between Jawahar Lal Nehru's memorial 'Shanti Van' and 'Vijay Ghat' (Lal Bahadur Shashtri's memorial). It was proposed after concerns were raised about shrinking land resources in Delhi. On an elevated platform, surrounded by greenery, Vajpayee's last rites will be performed.
Delhi police is ensuring the funeral goes smoothly
Meanwhile, the police are on their toes to ensure the funeral is conducted smoothly. Along with personnel of three districts- Central, North, and New Delhi, around 2000 Delhi Armed Police (DAP) and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the capital. The last time such a preparation happened, was when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. 5 lakh people including VVIPs are expected.
Living in Delhi? Here's how traffic will be affected today
Alok Kumar, joint DCP (traffic), urged people to follow updates on Twitter and Facebook to know about the traffic situation. Notably, 25 arterial roads including Krishna Menon Marg, Tughlak Road, Akbar Road, Mansingh Road, part of KG Marg, Shahjahan Road, DDU Marg, and the stretch between Rajghat to Delhi Gate have been closed. Local police and gunmen will stay at every intersection.
Meanwhile, Centre declared national mourning for 7 days
The Centre declared 7-day of national mourning after Vajpayee's death. The tricolor will be flown at half-mast throughout the country till August 22. The Delhi government announced that schools and colleges will remain shut today. In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu holidays were declared by the respective state governments. Elected PM thrice, Vajpayee was the tallest leader and his void can't be filled.
