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‘Inspired by his rich service…’: PM Modi, others pay tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on birth anniversary
Today is the 97th birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The former PM, a recipient of Bharat Ratna, was born on December 25, 1924.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday remembered former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the latter's 97th birth anniversary. “Remembering Atal Ji on his Jayanti. We are inspired by his rich service to the nation. He devoted his life towards making India strong and developed. His development initiatives positively impacted millions of Indians,” tweeted PM Modi on one of his predecessors in the nation's top office.
Union home minister Amit Shah, too, paid tribute to the veteran leader, as he greeted the country on Good Governance Day. “As Prime Minister, Atal Ji, through various visionary decisions, laid the foundation of a strong India. He also turned into reality, his vision of good governance in the country,” a rough translation of Shah's tweet, which was posted in Hindi, read.
Since 2014, when the Modi government first came to power, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary has been celebrated annually as Good Governance Day.
Also Read | Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Former PM's 97th birth anniversary today
Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh also posted in memory of the stalwart, describing him as a ‘great nationalist,’ ‘eminent orator,’ ‘wonderful poet,’ ‘able administrator’ and a ‘remarkable reformist.’
Born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on December 25, 1924, Vajpayee co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. He was the Prime Minister across three terms: for 16 days in 1996, 1998-1999, and, finally, for full five years from 1999-2004. He was accorded the Bharat Ratna in 2015, and breathed his last on August 16, 2018.
