E-Paper
Jai Ram unveils Vajpayee’s statue at Ridge
The CM said that the 18-feet structure, which was constructed for Rs 1.08 crore, was a token of love and affection from the people of Himachal to the great statesman.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday unveiled the statute of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 96th birth anniversary at the The Ridge here.
December 25 is also marked as Good Governance Day, which was established in 2014 to honour Vajpayee by fostering awareness on accountability in government among the people.
While addressing the ‘Atal Samriti Samaroh’ organised by the state language, art and culture department at the Gaiety Theatre, Thakur paid rich tributes to the former PM. He said Vajpayee was a statesman and a great personality who, due to his politics of principles, gained national appeal.
Stating that the great leader and politician would always be remembered by the country, the chief minister said Vajpayee defined highest values of leadership and devoted himself to the nation. Thakur said that Vajpayee was an orator par excellence with the ability to cast a spell on the audience. Even during some of the tensest moments in Parliament, the former PM succeeded in defusing the situation with utmost ease.
The CM said that despite being away from active politics for over a decade at the time of his demise, lakhs of youth joined Vajpayee’s last journey which shows his deep impact on people’s lives. He said that the nation was first for the great leader and therefore he is regarded as the true statesman by the country.
Thakur said as the Prime Minister of the country, Vajpayee changed India forever in many aspects. He said that during Vajpayee’s tenure between 1998 and 2004, the latter was credited with reviving India’s glory in the global economy. It was due to the strong willpower of Vajpayee that India became a nuclear power, Thakur said adding that it was due the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a vision of Vajpayee’s, that rural road connectivity gained pace and almost all the panchayats of Himachal were connected by roads.
Thakur said that unveiling of the statue at The Ridge was a tribute to this great son of Mother India. He said that the 18-feet structure, which was constructed for Rs 1.08 crore, was also a token of love and affection from the people of the state to the great statesman.
Thakur said that Vajpayee always believed in value-based politics and would always be remembered and respected for his simplicity, humanity and benevolence.
