President Draupadi Murmu honored senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani with the country’s highest civilian honor Bharat Ratna at his residence in Delhi.
President Draupadi Murmu honored senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani with the country’s highest civilian honor Bharat Ratna at his residence here on Sunday.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Mr Advani’s family members, Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a post on Twitter.
Prime Minister Modi sat next to Mr Advani when the President honored the veteran leader with the Bharat Ratna.
Rashtrapati Bhavan said that a doyen of Indian politics, Shri Advani has served the country with unwavering dedication and distinction for more than seven decades. As a Parliamentarian, his emphasis on dialogue has enriched parliamentary traditions.
Be it as Home Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Advani always prioritized the national interest above all else, earning him respect and admiration beyond party lines, it said in a series of posts on Twitter.
“His long and tireless struggle for the cultural upliftment of India has culminated in the reconstruction of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2024,” it said.
Rashtrapati Bhavan said that among the handful of post-independence political leaders who succeeded in reshaping the national agenda and putting it on the path of development, Mr Advani’s achievements provide the best expression of India’s genius and its inclusive traditions. Do it. Function on x.
Born in Karachi (now in Pakistan) in 1927, Mr Advani came to India during Partition in 1947.
The 96-year-old BJP veteran served as the Deputy Prime Minister from June 2002 to May 2004 and the Union Home Minister from October 1999 to May 2004. He was BJP President several times – from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998 and 2004. Till 2005.
Rashtrapati Bhavan said that with his vision of cultural nationalism, Mr Advani worked hard for decades across the country and brought about change in the socio-political landscape.
“When the Emergency threatened India’s democracy, the tireless warrior within him helped save it from authoritarian tendencies,” the post said.
As Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Janata Party government (1977–79), Mr Advani played a key role in the restoration of democracy by dismantling the undemocratic legal edifice of the Emergency, as per the profile of the veteran leader shared by Rashtrapati Bhavan. written.
His contribution at that time was as intellectually inspiring as it was politically influential.
A high point in Mr Advani’s political career came when he led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the late 1980s and laid the foundation for the revival of cultural nationalism.
“Their struggle has culminated in the reconstruction of the grand Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2024, fulfilling the decades-old aspirations of countless Indians,” it said.
During his tenure as Home Minister of India, Mr Advani brought about the most comprehensive reforms in India’s national security system. He adopted a proactive and uncompromising approach to combating cross-border terrorism and made sincere and consistent efforts to bring peace to Kashmir.
His emphasis on harmonious centre-state relations resulted in the formation of three new states – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.
According to the profile of the veteran leader shared by Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr Advani’s eventful political career will be remembered for his steadfast and diligent pursuit of key enduring ideals such as defense of democracy, cultural nationalism and clean politics.
During his fight against the Emergency (1975–77), Mr Advani spent 19 months in the Central Jail in Bengaluru.
The profile states that his book A Prisoner’s Scrap-Book (1977) has been globally acclaimed as one of the best works of prison literature, and adds that Mr Advani has always set exemplary standards in political ethics. Have done.
Known as a politician who combined intelligence, honesty and mass appeal, Mr Advani has been an avid reader and a prolific writer.
For his exceptional service in public life, Mr Advani was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian award, in 2015.
This year, the government announced five Bharat Ratna awards – one to Mr Advani and four posthumously to former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Choudhary Charan Singh, agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.
Family members of Mr Rao, Mr Singh, Mr Swaminathan and Mr Thakur received the award from the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.