Modi visits Advani on birthday, tweets about his ‘monumental’ contribution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders greeted L K Advani, considered the architect of the party’s rise as a major national force in the 1990s, on his birthday on Tuesday.
Advani, the BJP’s longest serving president, turned 95 on Tuesday. Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Advani’s residence in New Delhi to greet him.
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After visiting Advani, Modi tweeted, “His contribution to India’s growth is monumental. He is respected all across India for his vision and intellect. His role in building and strengthening the BJP is unparalleled. I pray for his long and healthy life”.
Went to Advani Ji’s residence and wished him on his birthday. His contribution to India’s growth is monumental. He is respected all across India for his vision and intellect. His role in building and strengthening the BJP is unparalleled. I pray for his long and healthy life. pic.twitter.com/Pdxy5Hko8d
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 8, 2022
Home Minister Amit Shah said Advani, with his relentless efforts, strengthened the party organisation across the country and made invaluable contribution to the country’s development while being part of the government.
Shah wished him good health and a long life. Union minister Nitin Gadkari called Advani “a source of inspiration.” Singh said Advani made a very important contribution to the country, society, and the party and is counted among the country’s tallest personalities.
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Paying rich tribute to the veteran who groomed a generation of young leaders, BJP president JP Nadda described him as a leading light of Indian politics and a guide to party leaders. Advani’s life, dedicated to the nation and the party, is a source of inspiration to them, he said.
Born in 1927 in Karachi, now part of Pakistan, Advani joined the RSS at a young age and later worked for Jana Sangh, where he made a mark with his organisational abilities.
He was a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980 and was its face along with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for several decades.
A keen strategist, Advani’s Rath Yatra in 1990, in support of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, at a site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, is seen as an epochal turn in national politics, marking the unstoppable rise of the party to power.
While Vajpayee, the popular face of the party who enjoyed acceptability beyond its support base, became prime minister, Advani was home minister. He became deputy prime minister later.
(With inputs from agencies)
