AB Vajpayee's ashes to be kept for homage at Kamalalayam

Chennai: The ashes of former Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee will be kept at Kamalalayam, BJP state headquarters in the city on Thursday for the party members and public to pay their homage, before being immersed at six different places in the State.

Party president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan will visit the national capital on Wednesday to receive the 'kalasam' containing Vajpayee's ashes, from party president Amit Shah. After the ashes are brought at 4.30 pm, the BJP leaders and cadres have planned to take the 'kalasam' in a procession to Kamalalayam from the airport here.

"Meeting held in Kamalalayam on Tuesday to plan arrangements for our beloved former PM Vajpayee's 'Asthi Kalash yatra' ashes to be immersed in holy rivers across TN in six places by senior BJP leaders & proposed route map finalised @BJP4India @BJP4TamilNadu," Dr Tamilisai tweeted.

  As per the schedule, the ashes will be kept at the party headquarters in T. Nagar on Thursday to facilitate the members of the public, leaders of various parties and BJP members to pay their homage. Towards the evening the BJP leaders will take the ashes to Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Madurai (Vaigai river), Tiruchi, Bhavani in Erode and Adyar river in Chennai. The ashes will be taken in a procession and immerse simultaneously at all the six places on Aug. 26, at 11 am.

 While Dr Tamilisai would lead the 'Asthi Kalash yatra' in Chennai, Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan will lead the procession in Kanyakumari, party MP L. Ganesan in Tiruchy, national secretary H. Raja in Rameswaram, national executive committee member C. P. Radhakrishnan in Erode and former state president K. N. Lakshmanan in Madurai.