Karnataka mourns Vajpayee's death

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubjai Vala, state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and other leaders mourned the death of Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“I condole the sad demise of former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. In his death, the nation has lost a great visionary statesman and pious leader, who was respected and loved by all,” said Vala in a message from Raj Bhavan.

“India has lost a great leader in terms of his sincere and dedication towards the country. Praying to Almighty for his eternal peace,” added Vala.

Expressing grief on Vajpayee’s demise, Kumaraswamy said the former prime minister was a great visionary who believed that national highways were like the lines on a palm, showing the future.

“Vajpayee was a rare breed of politicians who lived the values they believed. His death has created a vacuum in the country,” said Kumaraswamy in a condolence message.

Quoting a line from Vajpayee’s poem ‘Will never accept defeat’, the Chief Minister said the veteran leader’s writings mirrored his personality.

“Vajpayee believed in brotherhood and harmony and tried to bind the country with the Golden Quadrangle national highway project. He was also a great orator and a seasoned parliamentarian,” recalled Kumaraswamy.

Terming Vajpayee as one of the most respected, loved and broad-hearted statesman India had seen, Congress’ state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the former prime minister was a towering personality and a great orator.

“I express my condolence on his passing away. We are all going to miss him,” said Rao in a tweet.