Nation mourns Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s demise, condolences pour in on Social Media

India today lost one of its most prominent and strongest leaders as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at 5.05 PM IST today.

He was 93 years old. He was put on full life support on Wednesday after his condition deteriorated drastically since Tuesday night. He was admitted at AIIMS on June 11 with kidney tract infection, chest congestion, urinary tract infection and low urine output, indicating impaired kidney functions.

Following the news, a wave of sorrow hit the nation as political leaders, celebrities and bureaucrats took to social media to express their grief and prayers for the demised leader.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal through a tweet expressed his grief. He wrote, "Deeply saddened and heartbroken at the demise of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. A statesman, ideologue, icon and one of Independent India's greatest leaders, Vajpayee ji's resolute leadership transformed India and gave us wings to dream big and achieve. #AtalBihariVaajpayee.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted, "India grieves the demise of our beloved Atal Ji. His passing away marks the end of an era. He lived for the nation and served it assiduously for decades. My thoughts are with his family, BJP Karyakartas and millions of admirers in this hour of sadness. Om Shanti."

BJP veteran leader LK Advani also bid an emotional adieu to the former PM. He said, "I am at a loss of words to express my deep grief and sadness today as we all mourn the passing away of one of India's tallest statesmen, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.To me, Atalji was more than a senior colleague- in fact he was my closest friend for over 65 years."

Indian veteran industrialist Ratan Tata tweeted, "All of us who knew Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee are saddened to hear of his passing away. He was a great leader with a great sense of compassion and humor. He will be remembered fondly by a vast number of us."

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutta said, Indeed a big loss for our country as we pay our last tribute to #AtalBihariVajpayee ji. He was a close family friend and his legacy will forever be remembered. Thank you for your selfless service, sir! My heartfelt condolence to everyone."

Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar also expressed his grief by writing "India is at a great loss today. Shri #AtalBihariVajpayee ji's contributions to our nation have been innumerable. Thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones," through a tweet.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Today India lost a great son.  Former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, was loved and respected by millions. My condolences to his family & all his admirers. We will miss him. #AtalBihariVajpayee.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also shared her condolences to the veteran leader. In a tweet, she wrote, "Very very saddened that the great statesman and former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji is no more with us. His passing away is a very big loss to our nation. I will always cherish the many fond memories. Condolences to his family and his many admirers."