Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation this morning in paying rich tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary.
"We remember his warm personality, we remember his endearing nature, we remember his wit and humour, we remember his contribution to national progress. Atal Ji lives in the hearts and minds of our citizens. Today, on his Punya Tithi went to Sadaiv Atal and paid tributes to him," PM Modi tweeted this morning, shortly after his visit to Sadaiv Atal Samadhi in Delhi.
A video showed him remembering the former Prime Ministers along with other top BJP leaders.
Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one of the founding members of the BJP.
"Shri Vajpayee's first brush with nationalist politics was in his student days, when he joined the Quit India Movement of 1942 which hastened the end of British colonial rule. A student of political science and law, it was in college that he developed a keen interest in foreign affairs - an interest he has nourished over the years and put to skilful use while representing India at various multilateral and bilateral fora," reads his bio on a government website.
He served as the Prime Minister for three different terms. His first term in 1996 lasted only 13 days, followed by a 13-month stint in 1998. He served his first complete term from 1999 to 2004. He died at the age of 93 in New Delhi on August 16, 2018.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu paid his tribute on Twitter by sharing a quote by the former Prime Minister.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared a thread of tweets remembering Atal Bihari Vajpayee's contributions to the progress of the nation. He wrote that Vajpayee's “firm determination and foresight” made the whole world aware of the “courage and strength of Atal India.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote that Atal Bihari Vajpayee restored democratic values through his conduct in Indian politics.
In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote that Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for the creation of a new India, on which massive work is going on today.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one of India's finest Prime Ministers who ushered in a new era of development.
For his contributions to the progress and development of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2014. His birth anniversary, December 25, is commemorated as ‘Good Governance Day'.
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