Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 93 on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first to visit and greet him at his residence here.
“Visited Atalji to convey birthday greetings to him. Spent time with his family as well,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter. Modi credited Vajpayee’s phenomenal and visionary leadership which “further raised our prestige at the world stage”. I pray for his good health, he added.
Vaypayee, considered a liberal-modern face of the BJP, is the first and the only non-Congress leader who completed his full term as Prime Minister.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu also wished Vajpayee on his birthday and posted a poem in Hindi on Twitter by the former Prime Minister which urged people to remain united and not to give up hope in tough times.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also wished the BJP veteran on his birthday. “Warm birthday wishes to Atal Bihari Vajpyeeji. A visionary leader who called for peace, progress & prosperity in J&K by imbibing the spirit of Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat & Kashmiriyat,” Mehbooba said on Twitter.
BJP president Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh too visited Vajpayee’s residence to greet him. “Visited Atalji’s home to wish him on his birthday,” Shah said in a tweet.
“Warm wishes to our beloved leader and guide, Shri Atalji on his birthday today. Atalji is a towering and visionary leader who introduced good governance, development and politics of performance in Indian polity. I pray for his good health and long life,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.
Several Union Ministers, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Arun Jaitley, Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman, also greeted Vajpayee.
Born in 1924, Vajpayee entered politics during the Quit India movement in 1942. He was also the first External Affairs Minister to deliver a speech in the UN Assembly in Hindi. Vajpayee was elected to the lok Sabha from lucknow in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
The Prime Minister also paid tributes to freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary. “His impact on India’s history is strong and unforgettable. His efforts to further education and a spirit of patriotism will always be remembered,” Modi said in a tweet.