NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often quotes ailing BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his speeches, once gave a warm hug to the latter. Vajpayee, the three-time former prime minister of India, died at the age on 93 on August 16, 2018 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in new Delhi on Monday evening at 5:05 pm.
A rare video of Modi hugging Vajpayee at the BJP headquarters here is now doing the rounds on various social media platforms. In the video, Modi can be seen emerging from the background and giving a warm hug to Vajpayee in the premise of the party office. Several party leaders can also be seen accompanying Vajpayee in the rare video.
Vajpayee could also be seen patting on Modi's back and smiling at him.
PM Modi considers Vajpayee as his mentor and this old video, which was uploaded on YouTube, is a firm pointer to the deep bonding between the two leaders.
Vajpayee is also believed to have given a lesson on 'Rashtradharma' to Modi in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The 93-year-old BJP veteran was admitted to AIIMS on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.
Vajpayee, a diabetic, had only one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
The AIIMS release said, "It is with profound grief we inform about the sad demise of Former Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at 05:05pm on 16.08.2018. Shri Vajpayee was admitted in AIIMS on 11.0,2018 and was stable in the last 9 weeks under the care of a team of AIIMS doctors. Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems. Despite the best of efforts, we have lost him today. We join the Nation in deeply mourning this great loss."
