‘Father figure’ Vajpayee one of the finest administrators: Bedi

Addressing a meeting to condole the demise of Vajpayee, the Lt Governor said he was ‘the father figure of the country and he would be looked up as one of the finestadministrators.’

The former IPS officer also recalled how Vajpayee would listen to police officials and respect them without interfering in the discharge of their duties and in enforcement of law.

President of the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and MLA V Saminathan read out a condolence message and all those present observed a two-minute silence in memory of Vajpayee.

Leader of the Opposition N Rangasamy, Members of Parliament N Gokulakrishnan (Rajya Sabha), R Radhakrishnan (Lok Sabha), Purushothaman of AIADMK and SP Sivakumar of DMK were also among those present.

Territorial Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his Cabinet colleagues had paid homage to the urn containing the ashes, on Friday.

Meanwhile, a large number of people, including BJP workers, paid homage to the ashes of Vajpayee in Coimbatore on Saturday.

The urn containing the ashes, which arrived in the city on Saturday morning, was placed at the party office to facilitate the public to pay tribute. The urn would be taken to Pollachi, Palladam, Tirupur and then to Kooduthurai, the confluence of three rivers at Bhavani in Erode district, where the ashes would be immersed today.

Former BJP MP and chairman of Coir Board CP Radhakrishnan, party general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan and other local leaders of the party were among those who paid their respects.

BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP L Ganesan on Saturday said people from all walks of life paid tribute to the ashes of former prime minister AB Vajpayee, indicating the love the late leader had earned from the masses.

Ganesan said the ashes of Vajpayee was kept at the BJP State headquarters, Kamalalayam, in Chennai. Various political party leaders had paid their respects to the departed leader along with the public.

“I was moved by this and it shows how much name he has earned from the public beyond political affinity,” Ganesan said.

Meanwhile, he reaffirmed that the asthi would be immersed at seven selected places across the State. Following this, a condolence meeting is to be organised on August 28, in which leaders from various political parties are expected to take part.

Stating that the Upper Anaicut regulator was damaged due to lack of maintenance, the senior BJP leader said the State government should have prevented this by carrying out periodic maintenance work.

He also suggested that the State government should utilise the drought season to desilt the waterbodies. “The government should wake up at least now,” Ganesan stressed.