India benefited greatly from Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership: PM Modi

NEW-DELHI: A Somber Atmosphere enveloped the nation as dignitaries, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, converged at the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The solemn occasion witnessed heartfelt tributes paid to the revered leader who left an indelible mark on Indian politics.

In addition to these prominent figures, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party President JP Nadda, and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal gathered to pay their respects to the late 'Bharat Ratna' awardee. The memorial service also drew participation from several Union ministers and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, who joined in honoring Vajpayee's legacy.

A Prayer meeting marked the commemoration, held within the precincts of "Sadaiv Atal," the memorial erected in tribute to the former Prime Minister. It was on this day in 2018 that Vajpayee passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, after a prolonged illness.

Using the platform of X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sentiments, "I join 1.4 billion people of India in paying tribute to Atal Ji on his death anniversary. India benefited greatly from his leadership. He played an important role in advancing the progress of our country and taking it into the 21st century in various fields."

Notably, Vajpayee's contributions to the nation were recognized when he was honored with the prestigious 'Bharat Ratna' award in 2015. A co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India on three occasions. His initial tenure in 1996 was notably short, spanning just 13 days. Subsequently, he took office once again in 1998 and held the position for 13 months. In 1999, Vajpayee embarked on his third term as the Prime Minister, becoming the first non-Congress leader to complete a full term in this role.