New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers Wednesday paid tribute to former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary.
A prayer meeting was held at Vajpayee’s memorial — Sadaiv Atal — to mark his 95th birth anniversary.
BJP veteran L.K. Advani, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP working president J.P. Nadda, Speaker Om Birla and members of Vajpayee’s family paid their respects to the BJP patriarch.
The PM tweeted, “Trib-utes to Atal Behari Vajpa-yee, who is etched in the hearts of the countrymen, on his birth anniversary.”
He posted a brief video on Vajpayee, recalling his contributions to the country. Mr Modi also paid tribute to Madan Mohan Malaviya on his 158th birth anniversary.
“A humble tribute to Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary; who dedicated his life to the service of Mother India,” Mr Modi tweeted.
Malaviya played an important role in the freedom movement besides making invaluable contributions in the field of education, and his scholarship and ideals will always inspire countrymen, said Mr Modi.
Paying tributes to Vajpayee, Mr Shah recalled the former PM’s contributions and said that on the one hand, Vajpayee was an efficient organiser and propelled the party to the all-India level while on the other hand, he led the country.
Events during Vajpayee’s tenure such as the Pokharan nuclear tests and victory in the Kargil war created a strong image of India in the world, Mr Shah said.
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted, “Humble tributes to former Prime Minister #AtalBehariVajpayee on his birth anniversary. #Atalji was a charismatic leader, a parliamentarian par excellence, exceptional poet, eloquent orator. #Atalji’s multifaceted personality and distinguished statesmanship is an inspiration for us.”
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu also tweeted: “I join the nation in paying tributes to Atal Behari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary today. Vajpayee was truly a multifaceted personality.”
