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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, other leaders and general public participate in the last journey of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as his mortal remains are taken for cremation to Smriti Sthal, in New Delhi. Image Credit: PTI

Hyderabad: As a mark of respect to the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Telangana government declared a holiday for government offices and educational institutions on Friday.

State governor ESL Narasimhan and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao paid rich tributes to the departed leader, describing his death a great loss for the nation.

In Vajpayee’s demise, the nation had lost a great leader, administrator and a wonderful human being, governor Narasimhan said while conveying his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Chief Minister Rao said Vajpayee was a great parliamentarian who led politics with the highest standards and stood tall as a role model for the country and the world. “He was a liberalist, humanist, poet, orator and man of simplicity. He stood for what he believed in, his entire life”, KCR said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Moulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad also remembered the former leader and recalled his vital role in the university’s formation and development.

At a condolence meeting chaired by the vice chancellor Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, university students and staff observed two minutes silence as a mark of respect for Vajpayee.

“He was a fine human being, a great statesman, and a admirer of the Urdu language. His passing away is a great loss both for Urdu University and the Urdu language”, the vice chancellor said.