Atal turns 93, PM Modi hails his visionary leadership

New Delhi: Greetings poured in for former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch Atal Behari Vajpayee as he turned 93 on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to meet him at his residence here. Vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu also wished Mr Vajpayee on his birthday. “Visited Atalji to convey birthday greetings to him. Spent time with his family as well,” Mr Modi tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Mr Modi credited Mr Vajpayee’s phenomenal and visionary leadership.

“His phenomenal as well as visionary leadership made India more developed and further raised our prestige at the world stage. I pray for his good health,” tweeted the Prime Minister. He also paid tributes to freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary.

“His (Malviya) impact on India’s history is strong and unforgettable. His efforts to further education and a spirit of patriotism will always be remembered,” Mr Modi said in a tweet.

Mr Naidu posted a poem in Hindi on Twitter by the former Prime Minister, who is not in a good health and has not been seen in public for a long time now. The poem urged people to remain united and not to give up hope in tough times.

BJP president Amit Shah and Union home minister Rajnath Singh also visited Mr Vajapayee’s residence to greet him.

“Visited Atalji’s home to wish him on his birthday,” Mr Shah said in a tweet.

Describing the former PM as a “towering and visionary leaders, Mr Rajnath Singh tweeted: “Warm wishes to our beloved leader and guide, Shri Atalji on his birthday today. Atalji is a towering and visionary leader who introduced good governance, development and politics of performance in Indian polity. I pray for his good health and long life.”

J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also wished the BJP veteran well on his birthday. “Warm birthday wishes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. A visionary leader who called for peace, progress & prosperity in J&K by imbibing the spirit of Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat & Kashmiriyat,” Ms Mufti tweeted.

Several Union ministers, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Arun Jaitley, Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman, also greeted Mr Vajpayee. Wishing him, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath hailed Mr Vajpayee as the “patriarch of Indian politics, charismatic, great orator and a symbol of good governance.”