India / Prez, PM pay tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on death anniversary

New Delhi: Citizens and leaders across India’s political spectrum on Monday paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president JP Nadda along with others paid floral tributes to Vajpayee at the ‘Sadaiv Atal’ Samadhi in New Delhi.

Union ministers, BJP leaders and opposition leaders paid their tributes to the veteran politician on social media. “Respected Atal ji touched the life of every Indian by realising good governance and development in the country with his firm determination and foresight and also made the whole world aware of the courage and strength of Atal India,” Amit Shah tweeted in Hindi.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for the creation of a new India, adding, his contribution in building a capable and strong India will always be remembered.

“Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji on his death anniversary,” Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) national convener Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

“A towering statesman, an erudite parliamentarian, a gifted poet and an orator par excellence, Swargiya Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji was one of India’s finest Prime Ministers who ushered in a new era of development. I bow in reverence to the ‘Ajatshatru’ on his death anniversary,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on the microblogging site.

Vajpayee, who served as the prime minister three times, was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He died on August 16, 2018, at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness.

Vajpayee’s career as a parliamentarian spanned over four decades and during his tenure as the Prime Minister, India conducted its second-ever nuclear bomb test in 1998 called Pokhran-II. His legacy as PM also included the astute and wise economic policies which paved the way for the foundation of the longest period of sustained growth in the history of independent India, a government statement said. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 2014 and his birth anniversary, which falls on December 25, is celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’.