I am deeply shocked and saddened by the demise of Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The country has lost a great statesman and a stalwart of Indian politics. He was an exceptional orator and his contribution to literature through his poems and writings will be his lasting legacy.

I offer my sincerest condolences to his family in this time of grief and pray that God Almighty grant them strength and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.