Atal Bihari Vajpayeee: President Ramnath Kovind expresses grief

President Ramnath Kovind expressed shock over the passing away of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajppayee. "Extremely sad to hear of the passing of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, our former Prime Minister and a true Indian statesman. His leadership, foresight, maturity and eloquence put him in a league of his own. Atalji, the Gentle Giant, will be missed by one and all" he tweeted. The 'Change of Guard' ceremony on the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan was also not held due to state mourning.