'I feel a great void': PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the passing away of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee marks the end of an era and termed it as a "personal and irreplaceable" loss for him.

He said the BJP patriarch lived for the nation and served it assiduously for decades while noting that it was Vajpayee's exemplary leadership that set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century.

"It was Atal Ji's exemplary leadership that set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century. His futuristic policies across various sectors touched the lives of every citizen of India," Modi tweeted.

His initial tweet, a profoundly emotional one in Hindi, read, "I'm speechless, I feel a great void, yet am overcome by emotions".