Lucknow: The ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will be immersed in 42 rivers in various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
According to an official statement issued here on Friday, the government spokesperson said that since Vajpayee was closely related to Uttar Pradesh, his ashes would be immersed in all holy rivers.
Giving a list of rivers, the official spokesperson said that Vajpayee’s ashes would be immersed in the Yamuna in Agra, Ganga in Allahabad, Varuna in Varanasi, Gomti in Lucknow, Ghaghra and Tons in Ambedkar Nagar, Ghaghra, Rapti, Rohin, Aami in Gorakhpur, Sai in Amethi, Sot in Amroha, Sindhu in Auraiyya, Ram Ganga in Badaun, Hindon and Kali Nadi in Baghpat, Saryu, Karnali and Suheli in Bahraich, Gandak in Ballia, Ken in Banda, Ram Ganga and Aril in Bareilly, Kuano and Manorama in Basti, Isaan in Etah and Chanbal in Etawah.
Besides these, the ashes will also be immersed in Dhasaan in Hamirpur, Karban in Hathras, Sindhu and Betwa in Jalaun, Budhi Gandak in Kushinagar, Sharda in Lakhimpur, Jamni and Arind in Mainpuri, Bakulahi in Rae Bareli and Rehand and Kanha in Sonebhadra.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced this was being done because Uttar Pradesh was Vajpayee’s “karmabhoomi” — the land of action — and its people will get an opportunity to be part of his final journey.
Vajpayee represented the state’s national capital in the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms. He was elected from the Lucknow constituency in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
According to BJP sources, special events will be organised in all districts where immersion will take place and top party leaders from these regions will take part in the programmes.
The BJP’s city unit will organise a condolence meeting on August 21, when Union home minister Rajnath Singh, the current MP from Lucknow, and other leaders will pay homage to Vajpayee.
On a visit to the city on August 5, Rajnath Singh had hailed Vajpayee for setting in flow a ‘Vikaas ki Ganga’ — a river of development — in Lucknow.
