The home ministry announcement, which formally notified state governments about Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death, did not declare a public holiday. The union cabinet later made an exception to the precedent, under which a holiday is only announced on the death of a sitting prime minister or president.

Punjab, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi have, however, announced a public holiday for Friday as a mark of respect to the former prime minister who was considered one of the country's most respected politicians.

In a departure from the standard protocol, the union cabinet also decided to close government offices in the national capital on Friday afternoon. An official said it had been decided to give half-day holiday on Friday afternoon, the day of the funeral.