Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (December 25) paid tribute to late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at ‘Sadaiv Atal’ memorial on his 95th birth anniversary.
Vajpayee, who was one of the tallest leaders and co-founder of the BJP, died on August 16, 2018 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a prolonged illness. He was 93.
Vajpayee's adopted daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya and granddaughter Niharika were also present at ‘Sadaiv Atal’ to pay their tribute. Vajpayee led the National Democratic Alliance government from 1998-2004 and was the first BJP leader to become the Prime Minister of India. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi tweeted that Vajpayee will remain in the hearts of Indian citizens. "The citizens of this country give their tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is in their hearts, on his birth anniversary," said PM Modi.
PM Modi's tweet includes a montage featuring his speeches praising Vajpayee, who served as the PM of India thrice - for 13 days in 1996, 13 months in 1998 and for five years from 1999 till 2004. |
