Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 25: President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid floral tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial ‘Sadaiv Atal’ on the occasion of his 101st birth anniversary.
Several senior leaders, including former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman, JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, BJP working president Nitin Nabin, MPs and other dignitaries were present at the prayer ceremony.
Prime Minister Modi said he had the privilege of paying tributes to Vajpayee at ‘Sadaiv Atal’ in Delhi on his birth anniversary. “His life dedicated to public service and nation-building will always inspire the people of the country,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Vajpayee’s personality, leadership and work would continue to serve as a guiding light for the all-round development of the nation, adding that the former prime minister devoted his entire life to good governance and national progress. He also remembered Vajpayee as a brilliant orator and a spirited poet.
Born in Gwalior in 1924, Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16, 2018. His birth anniversary is observed as Good Governance Day across the country. The BJP marked the occasion with nationwide programmes, with chief ministers, Union ministers, MPs and organisational leaders participating in commemorative events.
India’s 13th prime minister, Vajpayee served three terms between 1996 and 2004 and is remembered for his significant contributions to economic growth, infrastructure development and governance reforms. The Kargil War, also known as Operation Vijay, was fought and won during his tenure, and India emerged as a nuclear power under his leadership.
Vajpayee had a distinguished parliamentary career spanning over four decades, being elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha. Rising from humble beginnings, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 and later conferred with the Bharat Ratna in 2015. Known for championing democratic values, social equality and women’s empowerment, Vajpayee remains one of India’s most respected statesmen.