Lal Krishna Advani, a prominent BJP leader and former deputy prime minister will be awarded the ‘Bharat Ratna’, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
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Who is 'Bharat Ratna' Lal Krishna Advani?
• LK Advani, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has had a long and impactful political career in India.
• Advani was born on November 8, 1927, in pre-Partition Sindh. He did his schooling at St.Patrick's School, Karachi, where he was inspired to join the Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of fourteen
• In 1947, Advani migrated to Delhi after the partition.
• He became part of the Jana Sangh, BJP’s predecessor, in 1951 when it was formed by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1970 and held his seat till 1989. In December 1972, he was elected president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• During the Emergency, LK Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was in Bangalore, where they were arrested and sent to prison.
{{/usCountry}}• During the Emergency, LK Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was in Bangalore, where they were arrested and sent to prison.
{{/usCountry}}• Advani was appointed information and broadcasting minister in the Janata Party in 1975 under the prime ministership of Morarji Desai.
• He along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee played a pivotal role in founding the BJP in 1980.
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• He gained prominence for his leadership role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement during the 1990s, advocating for the construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
• He served as BJP's national president in three stints- from 1986-90, 1993-98 and 2004-2005
• Advani served as the deputy prime minister and home minister, playing crucial roles in the government during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule under Atal Bihari Vajpayee rule.
• Advani started his career in Parliament in 1970 getting elected to Rajya Sabha. In 1989, he ran for the Lok Sabha from New Delhi and won.
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• The year 1991 saw Advani contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat and New Delhi, securing victories in both, though he opted to represent Gandhi Nagar. His last election was in 2014, standing for the same Gandhinagar seat he had represented before.
• In recent years, he has taken a step back from active political engagements due to health issues.