Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a jovial person and a simple human being, recalled his relatives from Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Local BJP leader Poonam Vajpayee, who is married to Vajpayee's nephew Surendra Kumar Vajpayee, said the former PM's death is a great loss to the nation.

"This is a moment of grief for the entire family as well as our nation. We feel that our family has lost its guardian. However, it is also true that Vajpayeeji will always remain alive into the minds of people through his work, poetry and memories," she said.

Poonam said personalities like Vajpayee never die.

"I had last met Vajpayee in 2006. He was my husband's uncle. My son is already in Delhi and my husband is about to leave for Delhi to attend last rites of Vajpayee," she said.

Surendra Kumar Vajpayee's sister Binaben shared some memories of Vajpayee.

"Vajpayeeji was my uncle. We all belong to the same family. Such was his influence on us that we started living a simple life. He was very jovial and always met us with warmth," Binaben recalled.

First Published:Aug 16, 2018 11:40 PM IST