Edited by Deepali Verma
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani will be conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 3, calling the party stalwart’s contributions to the development of Bharat “monumental”.
Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote that he felt privileged to have interacted with and learnt from Advani. “The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me,” PM Modi said. “Advani Ji’s service in public life has seen an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, while setting up an exemplary standard in political ethics. He has contributed to unmatched efforts towards furthering national unity as well as cultural resurgence.”
Calling Advani as “one of the most respected statesmen of our times”, the PM added, “His life started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He established himself as the Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been extraordinary and full of rich insights.”
Over the course of his long political innings, Advani occupied several party and government posts such as the post of Deputy Prime Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Leader of Opposition and BJP President.
The Bharat Ratna, Bharat’s highest civilian award, is conferred in recognition of “exceptional service/performance of the highest order”. Instituted in 1954, the list of awardees spans to Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Vajpayee, among others.
