Thousands of people gathered in New Delhi to say goodbye to India's three-time Prime Minister considered a national hero. Top politicians, including current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their respects to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. CGTN's Shweta Bajaj reports.  

The Indian stalwart - Atal Bihari Vajpayee died at the age of 93 due to age-related illnesses. The three-time Prime Minister ruled India for 13 days in 1996, 13 months in 1998, and for a full term from 1999 to 2004. Vajpayee, one of the founding members of the ruling BJP, was part of Indian politics for six full decades. His funeral procession in New Delhi saw thousands of people mourning the loss and was attended by almost all major leaders of India and included delegations from India's neighbours even rival Pakistan.

SHWETA BAJAJ NEW DELHI "That's the last journey of India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had a following cutting across party lines, cutting across political issue and religions and that's the kind of following that is being witnessed at his funeral procession here which is being led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

"He is a great poet and he was a great leader of our country. I can say that till now we have had only two Prime Ministers - Lal Bahadur Shashtri Ji and Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji."

"I have come to be part of the former Prime Minister's funeral procession. I was very sad and I insisted that I wanted to be part of his last journey."

Despite his right-wing BJP credentials, Vajpayee maintained the image of a moderate secular leader. Atal Bihari Vajpayee first entered politics during the Quit India Movement of 1942, when he was arrested and held for 23 days by the British government. From then until now, Vajpayee's journey has been like no other in Indian politics. It's truly the end of an era. Shweta Bajaj, CGTN, New Delhi, India.