In 13 state universities, govt to set up study chair to pay tribute to Vajpayee

Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will bring the urn with Vajpayee’s ashes to Mumbai on Wednesday. The urn will be taken to the NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts) where tributes will be paid to the BJP patriarch. The event will be attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, UP Governor Ram Naik, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal as well as state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve.

Later, the ashes would be immersed in 11 rivers of Maharashtra — Krishna, Godavari, Savitri, Ulhas, Chandrabhaga, Wainganga, Indravati, Painganaga, Girna, Mula and Narmada. Also, a coffee table book on Vajpayee is set to be compiled. People of the state as well as BJP leaders and workers can send old photographs and important anecdotes related to Vajpayee, which could find a place in the book. For this purpose, the government has opened an email account, atalsmruti@gmail.com.

Speaking to mediapersons, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “The party has provided Rs 20 crore to set up a special chair in name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 13 universities of Maharashtra… Also, 10 students willing to do research on the life and work of Vajpayee would be provided financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh each by the BJP.”

Party leaders said the BJP wants to promote significant aspects of Vajpayee’s life and work among the next generation, including his unwavering commitment to nationalism. According to them, Vajpayee’s journey would not only unfold the multifacet aspects related to the BJP, which had officially come into being in Mumbai on April 6, 1980, it would also take the youths down the memory lane into the Jan Sangh days, detailing the evolution of BJP.