India / President Kovind, PM Modi pay tributes to Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary at his memorial in Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP working president JP Nadda, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and senior BJP leader LK Advani were among those present and paid their obeisances to Vajpayee.

देशवासियों के दिलों में बसे पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री भारत रत्न अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी जी को उनकी जन्म-जयंती पर कोटि-कोटि नमन। pic.twitter.com/9tCkmEUxnf

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2019

Earlier today, Modi extended his birthday greetings to Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister will visit Lucknow today to unveil a statue of former Prime Minister and lay the foundation stone of a medical university proposed in Vajpayee’s name in the city.

Born on December 25, 1924, in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, Vajpayee was an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was among the founding members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

Known for his eloquent oratorical skills, he was a member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, representing Lucknow from the Lower House from 1991 to 2009.

Vajpayee was one of the several leaders who were jailed during the Emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.

Vajpayee’s successor Dr Manmohan Singh once referred to him as the “Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics” once during a Parliament speech.