RIP Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Media pays tribute to India's gentle colossus

A legendary political figure and the former prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, brought dignity and poise to politics. The leader of masses oversaw India's birth as a nuclear power and in a rare grand diplomatic gesture, also travelled by bus to Pakistan. Vajpayee, a three-time prime minister, was indeed a leader like no other.

He was of the view that "no guns but only brotherhood can solve our problems."

Vajpayee breathed his last at Delhi's All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday at 5:05 pm. The death of stalwart is a great loss for the entire nation.

Undoubtedly, his political understanding and charismatic leadership had played the biggest role in providing a whole new platform to the saffron party, Bhartiya Janata Party. He was the PM from 1998 to 2004, and under his leadership, BJP witnessed path-breaking electoral victories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the veteran leader's death and said that India has lost an "anmol ratan" (precious gem)

Here are some of the glimpses of media coverage to show their heartfelt condolences to the leader:

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 International news outlets:

Elaborate obituaries were published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC and CNN among others, describing Vajpayee's dedication and efforts to improve US-India relations during his tenure as the Prime Minister.

The Washington Post in their obituary titled 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister who made India a nuclear power, dies at 93'. It describes his attempts to elevate India's position among powerful 'nuclear' nations.

The New York Times described Vajpayee as a determined politician who 'stunned the world by ending a decades-old moratorium on nuclear weapons tests'.