President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, on veteran politician Lal Krishna Advani on Sunday. President Murmu paid a visit to senior BJP leader LK Advani’s residence and conferred him with the prestigious award.
This was decided keeping in view the ailing health of LK Advani. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda were present on the occasion.
Earlier in February, PM Modi announced that the senior BJP leader will be conferred the Bharat Ratna.Taking to the social media platform, PM Modi said the former Union Minister’s contribution to the development of India is monumental.
“I am very happy to share that LK Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” PM posted on X.
Born in Karachi, in present day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani through the years had served as the President of the BJP for the longest period since its inception in 1980. Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).
As confirmed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani has ‘never compromised on his core belief in nationalism, and yet has displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation’.
Lal Krishna Advani, popularly known as LK Advani, is widely known as one of the tallest leaders of the BJP who scripted the party’s rise from oblivion to prominence. It was after his Rath Yatra in the 1990s that the BJP was catapulted into national politics.
