Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali on Friday paid homage to former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his funeral venue at Smriti Sthal in Delhi, India. The mortal remains of former Indian PM Vajpayee was cremated at 4pm at Rastriya Smriti Sthal between Shanti Van and Vijay Ghat, Delhi.

A founding member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vajpayee, 93, passed away at 5:05 pm on Thursday at All Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi after a prolonged illness. He was admitted at the hospital on June 11.

Before visiting the cremation venue of Vajpayee, Minister Gyawali held a meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. During the meeting , Minister Gyawali expressed condolences on behalf of the government and people of Nepal and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, Nepali Embassy in Delhi said.

He had left for Indian Capital New Delhi earlier in the day to attend the funeral ceremony of late Vajpayee on behalf of the government and people of Nepal.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the government and people of India and the bereaved family members of late Vajpayee.

“I am deeply shocked to learn that former Prime Minister of India Atal Behari Vajpayee has passed away in New Delhi. On behalf of the Government of and people of Nepal and on my own, I extend respect to late Vajpayee,” PM Oli wrote in his tweet.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress (NC) acting president Bimalendra Nidhi has left for New Delhi to attend the last rites of former Indian PM Vajpayee. Nidhi is attending the funeral on behalf of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba who is currently out of the country.

Vajpayee led the BJP to electoral victory and headed coalitions at the Centre from 1998 to 2004 and became the first non-Congress PM to complete a full term. He will be cremated at 4pm at Rastriya Smriti Sthal between Shanti Van and Vijay Ghat.

According to Times of India, Vajpayee was a diabetic patient, had one functioning kidney, and had lost much of his cognitive function after a stroke in 2009. Later, he developed dementia. Vajpayee was thrice elected as PM of India, the first time briefly for 13 days in 1996.