Visitors line up to greet Atal Bihari Vajpayee

As each dignitary walked in into the official residence of three-time prime minister AB Vajpayee in Lutyen's Delhi, an attendant standing next to his bed announced the visitor's name.

Visitors line up to greet Atal Bihari Vajpayee
NEW DELHI: At the residence of India's latest Bharat Ratna awardee, a silence lined with reverence awaited the queue of visitors who wanted to congratulate him. As each dignitary walked in into the official residence of three-time prime minister AB Vajpayee in Lutyen's Delhi, an attendant standing next to his bed announced the visitor's name.

There were no celebrations and no sweets distribution, as the SPG guards screened the visitors, putting the flower bouquets through the X-ray machine. "We can't celebrate when Baapji (as Vajpayee is referred to by his family) cannot take part in that joy," said a family member. At 6A, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi, the occasion was marked only by a design on the made out of fresh flowers by professional rangoli makers. His foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya and son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya received the guests.

Among the first ones to arrive at his house were Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar besides Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP leaders BC Khanduri and Vijay Goel. PM Modi is expected to visit Vajpayee on Thursday morning before leaving for his constituency, Varanasi. Senior leader LK Advani may, too, meet him on his birthday. Ashok Tandon, Vajpayee's Media Advisor in the PMO, said the best time to meet him was in late afternoon when he was relatively more alert. The mornings were spent in physiotherapy sessions and getting Vajpayee ready for the day.

"After that he is tired and prefers to rest and sleep. It is in the later part of the day, between 5 and 7 in the evening that he is more responsive," he said.
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