Vajpayee Passes Away: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Calls Emergency Cabinet Meeting 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called an emergency cabinet meeting at 6:30 PM on Thursday (16 August) following the demise of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, ANI has reported.

Media reports claimed that the meeting will be held at the Prime Minister’s residence, where they would discuss modalities mourning over Vajpayee’s demise. Some sections of the media have speculated that the Union Ministers would also take the opportunity to condole the former Prime Minister’s death.

Vajpayee passed away at 5:05 PM today (16 August) following a prolonged illness. He was admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in June, and was said to be stable for about nine weeks. His health unfortunately deteriorated in the last 36 hours and had to be placed on life support system.

The news of his death was announced in a press release issued by AIIMS’ media and protocol division.

Modi paid tribute to Vajpayee on twitter where he called him an exemplary leader who set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century. The Prime Minister described Vajpayee’s passing away as a personal and irreplaceable loss.