Bateshwar jubilant on Vajpayee getting Bharat Ratna

Residents of Bateshwar, 70 km from Agra, where former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spent his early childood, were jubilant on his getting the Bharat Ratna and celebrated with sweets.

Special pujas were also offered in the town, where a few of Vajpayee’s relatives and friends still reside. Vajpayee’s childhood friend Suraj Bhan Gupta, aged over 90, said Bateshwar has got a new identity and fame due to the former prime minister.

Bateshwar is famous for its 101 Shiva temples. In Agra, Vajpayee’s sister Kamla Dixit also expressed her joy and happiness at the highest honour for her 90-year-old brother, who is four years older than her. (IANS)