When Pranab Mukherjee's dog bit Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Paying respects to the late leader, Sharmistha Mukherjee recalled the time when her dog 'daku' bit former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: Ever since former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away, people from across party lines have been sharing their memories of the late Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart. One such incident was shared by former president Pranab Mukherjee's daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee.

Paying respects to the late leader, she recalled the time when her dog 'daku' bit the former PM and how her mother rushed to meet Vajpayee after getting to know about the incident. "Remembering a childhood incident when our dog Daku bit Vajpeyee ji during his morning walk.Hearing dis,my mom rushed 2 c him.He had a good laugh &sent her back wid homegrown vegies, (sic)" she tweeted. 

Remembering a childhood incident when our dog Daku bit Vajpeyee ji during his morning walk.Hearing dis,my mom rushed 2 c him.He had a good laugh &sent her back wid homegrown vegies. Exchange of culinary delights continued betwn d neighbors, leaving behind a flood of fond memories

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) August 16, 2018

She also added that the neighbours, as they were then, continued to send each other delicacies. "Exchange of culinary delights continued betwn d neighbors, leaving behind a flood of fond memories, (sic)" she tweeted.

Like many others, she too termed the death of the BJP patriarch as the 'end of an era'. "Passing away of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee marks end of an era. A legendary orator, his humanism came through in policies & politics as reflected in his Kashmir doctrine ‘Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat & Kashmiriyat’. Deepest condolences," she tweeted.

Her father Pranab Mukherjee also expressed his condolences on Vajpayee's death and said that he was a reasoned critique in opposition. "Deeply saddened at the passing away of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A reasoned critique in opposition and a seeker of consensus as PM, Atal Ji was a democrat to the core. In his passing away, India has lost a great son and an era has come to an end. My deepest condolences," Pranab said in a tweet.

One of the country's most charismatic leaders, Vajpayee died on August 16 at the age of 93. He was cremated with full state honours at Smriti Sthal where several dignitaries and thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the late leader.