'Vajpayee's ashes to be immersed in Haridwar today'

New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar on Sunday, the BJP said on Saturday. The immersion ceremony at the holy city tomorrow will be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat among others, BJP leader Bhupender Yadav told reporters here. One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee passed away here on Thursday at the age of 93. He was cremated with full State honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the national capital on Friday.

Yadav said an all-party prayer meeting for the BJP stalwart will be held here on August 20 and another such meeting will be organised in Lucknow on August 23 since Vajpayee's appeal cut across political divide. Apart from the home minister and UP CM, Vajpayee's relatives will attend the Lucknow prayer meeting, he said, adding that the former PM's ashes will also be immersed in the Gomati river there.