Atal Bihari Vajpayee Death Anniversary: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former prime minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary on Friday.
They were joined by other dignitaries, including Union ministers, and leaders from different parties in paying homage to Vajpayee at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal' in New Delhi.
In his tribute, PM Modi said on X, "He is remembered by countless people for his unparalleled contribution to nation-building. He devoted his entire life towards ensuring that our fellow citizens lead a better quality of life. We will keep working to fulfil his vision for India."
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Whenever there is a talk of political purity, loyalty towards national interest and steadfastness towards principles in the country, Atal ji will definitely be remembered. On one hand, through the establishment of BJP, he popularized the ideology of national interest, while as Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. I pay my heartfelt tributes to Bharat Ratna respected Atal ji on his death anniversary."
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid tribute to Vajpayee on his death anniversary at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'.
The foster daughter of former PM Vajpayee Namita Kaul Bhattacharya also paid tribute to him on his death anniversary at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'.
Several Union Ministers and NDA leaders including BJP MP JP Nadda also paid tribute to Vajpayee on his death anniversary.
A widely-respected politician acknowledged as among the finest orators, Vajpayee played a crucial role in drawing allies for his party in the coalition era of the '90s and became the first prime minister from the BJP. His stewardship of the country between 1998-2004 is known for reforms and boost to infrastructure sectors. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 93 years.