Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial on former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death anniversary on Wednesday. He was accompanied by President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other NDA leaders. PM Modi and other leaders paid floral tributes to the former Prime Minister on this occasion.
PM Modi Pays Tribute On Social Media
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary today in the morning and said India greatly benefitted from his leadership.
In tributes to the former prime minister, Modi said he played a pivotal role in boosting India's progress and taking it to the 21st century in a wide range of sectors. "I join the 140 crore people of India in paying homage to the remarkable Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi," he said.
About Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades and was the first non-Congress prime minister to have served a full term in office.
Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979.
The first-ever prime minister from the BJP, Vajpayee is credited with popularising the party beyond its base and running a coalition government successfully for six years, during which he pushed reforms and boosted infrastructure. He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16 in 2018 at the age of 93.