RN Ravi hails former PM’s unity and democratic values

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and several leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee on his birth centenary on Thursday.

BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran on Thursday said the former Prime Minister firmly protected national unity and democratic values without losing balance and compassion even in difficult moments.

Paying rich tributes to the BJP stalwart on his birth centenary, Nagenthran also said that under his leadership, Indian politics reached new heights.

Vajpayee proved through his actions that respect for governance, integrity in public life, and national interest should be the centre of politics, he added.

“He was a leader who, without losing balance and compassion even in difficult moments, firmly protected national unity and democratic values,” the BJP state president said in a post on social media.

“Today is the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His political style, which combined dignity and humanity, is a rare quality that makes even his opponents respect him,” he said.

Vajpayee’s vision that politics should be for the future of the nation, not for personal gain, has inspired generations. The mark he left in Indian politics was something that time cannot erase, he added.

Hailing Vajpayee as the architect of the new India, convener of TN BJP coordination committee H Raja said the former Prime Minister was instrumental for the Golden Triangle Road project from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and had implemented the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, a scheme to feed the poor across the country to see India free from hunger and starvation.

“He announced the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, with the aim of providing free education to all the poor and established schools across the country. He established the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Scheme in every village and connected the country with roads,” Raja said in a post recalling the achievements of the former Prime Minister.

Stating that Vajpayee’s leadership was marked by moral clarity, strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to democratic values, Governor R N Ravi said the former PM was a visionary leader, distinguished parliamentarian, eloquent orator and poet.

“He strengthened India’s democratic ethos while fostering national unity through dialogue and consensus,” he said in a statement.

At a defining moment in India’s history, his stewardship enabled the nation to emerge as a nuclear-capable power, providing long-term strategic assurance and reinforcing national security.

“His legacy continues to inspire our collective journey toward a secure, confident and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Governor said.

BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said in a post that Vajpayee’s enduring schemes uplifted ordinary citizens and they were continued under successive governments. He listed out the numerous initiatives, including health initiatives, power sector reforms, the Pokhran-II (1998) testing and the victory in the Kargil War.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s (SJTA) chief, Arabinda Padhee, said the meeting on December 27 will deliberate on the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the inventorisation of ornaments and valuables of the Ratna Bhandar. The previous inventory of the valuables was conducted in 1978. The process required 72 days for completion.

Justice Rath said that in the upcoming inventory, the committee will count all the items stored in the Ratna Bhandar. “For security reasons, the counting will be done inside the inner chamber of the treasury. This inventory will be tallied with that of 1978,” he said.

The Ratna Bhandar was reopened in 2024 after four decades for repair works, which were completed in July this year. The valuables were taken back to the treasury after the completion of the work.

Justice Rath said the inventory will be held, keeping in mind the rituals of the temple.

“We will aim to complete it in less than last time’s 72 days. The previous inventory was conducted by lighting an earthen lamp. This time, we have electric light. Therefore, the inventory can be done easily,” he said.

The ornaments and other valuables in the treasury will be digitised, he added.

Another SJTA official said the December 27 meeting will lay the groundwork for how these valuables will be handled, weighed, and documented without causing any disruption to the daily ‘Niti-Kanti’ or rituals of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.

Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, headed by the ‘Gajapati Maharaja’ of Puri, Dibyasingh Deb, will review the SOP to ensure it aligns with the temple’s ancient traditions.

State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, meanwhile, claimed the inventory process may take about four months.