Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee dies in New Delhi on Thursday, after a prolonged illness. Opposition leaders and leaders cutting across political parties paid rich tribute to him. Former President Pranab Mukherjee said, "No doubt that the country will be poorer in the loss of Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was like a colossus for almost 6 decades. I pay my deepest regards for this great son of India. Though he was suffering for a long time I did not believe that the end will come.” Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the BJP stalwart will always be respected. Expressing her grief Mehbooba Mufti, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, said “His death is not only a loss for the country, but it is also a big loss for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”