Dalai Lama, President Sangay condole demise of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

DHARAMSALA, August 17: Both the spiritual and political head of the Tibetan people have offered their condolences over the demise of India’s former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India’s most charismatic leader.

India has lost an eminent leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said in a missive to Vajpayee’s foster daughter, Smt Namita Bhattacharya.

“Shri Vajpayee was a truly dedicated politician. With his passing away, India has lost an eminent national leader. His eloquent support of the Tibetan people began in the late 1950s. Since then, he regularly took Indian governments to task in parliament, prompting them to take a stronger stand on Tibet,” the Dalai Lama said in the missive.

The Tibetan Nobel laureate further said that it was a privilege to have known Atal Bihari Vajpayee and that he was honoured to have counted him as a friend. The Dalai Lama concluded his missive by offering condolences to Vajpayee’s relatives, friends and colleagues.

The President of the Central Tibetan Administration, Dr Lobsang Sangay described India’s former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as one of the giants in Indian politics and the strongest voice for Tibet.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. He was one of the giants in Indian politics and the strongest voice for Tibet,” President Sangay said in a tweet.

The Central Tibetan Administration declared today a public holiday as a mark of respect for the former Prime Minister of India and the first president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Vajpayee, 93 passed away at AIIMS hospital in New Delhi on Thursday evening after a prolonged illness.