Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee receives Bharat Ratna
President goes to ex-PM’s house to confer honour: Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was on Friday conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest honour, with President Pranab Mukherjee driving down to his Krishna Menon Marg residence in the heart of Lutyens Delhi for the ceremony, in a rare departure from protocol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the VIPs present at Mr Vajpayee’s residence, said in a series of tweets that it was “a historic day for crores of Indians”, and went on to add: “Atalji’s life is dedicated to the nation. He is an outstanding son of the country... He has lived every moment of his life for the country. He is an inspiration for crores of people like me and will continue to be so for future generations. I pray to God that he continues to give inspiration and guide us”. The ceremony was held at Mr Vajpayee’s residence as he has been ailing for the past several years and has been out of public life for some time. Among those present were vice-president Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, home minister Rajnath Singh and close family members like foster daughter Namita and foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya. A minor controversy erupted over the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with some sources claiming she was “not invited”, though the Congress refused to Vajpayee a great delight to caricature:comment officially. The event was kept away from the media glare. A tea party was organised later by Rashtrapati Bhavan on the lawns of Mr Vajpayee’s residence that was attended by Cabinet ministers, former PM Manmohan Singh, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and some chief ministers, including Mufti Muhammad Sayeed of Kashmir and Parkash Singh Badal of Punjab. The announcement on a Bharat Ratna for Mr Vajpayee was made on December 24, a day before his 90th birthday. He was the first Indian politician to become PM who had never been a member of the Congress Party. But despite his right-wing Hindu nationalist connections, Mr Vajpayee had managed to project a moderate Nehruvian image. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who had gone to Mr Vajpayee’s residence, described the former PM as a “powerful nationalist leader”, and added that: “Atalji was not only a leader of India but of the whole world. He left an indelible imprint as a philosopher, poet and Prime Minister... It’s an occasion of joy for each one of us.” Despite her absence at the ceremony, Mrs Gandhi wrote in a letter to Mr Vajpayee: “Your broad and large-hearted vision, your patriotism and eloquent oratory have always embraced the entire political spectrum and all sections of our society.” She told the former PM that on this auspicious day, she shared the joy of his family and friends, as well as millions of Indians. The Bharat Ratna, she said, is a “fitting recognition of your statesmanship, wisdom, and deep committment to national interests during your prime ministership and indeed throughout your years in politics”. Source: The Asian Age, Image: flickr.com
President goes to ex-PM’s house to confer honour: Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was on Friday conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest honour, with President Pranab Mukherjee driving down to his Krishna Menon Marg residence in the heart of Lutyens Delhi for the ceremony, in a rare departure from protocol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the VIPs present at Mr Vajpayee’s residence, said in a series of tweets that it was “a historic day for crores of Indians”, and went on to add: “Atalji’s life is dedicated to the nation. He is an outstanding son of the country... He has lived every moment of his life for the country. He is an inspiration for crores of people like me and will continue to be so for future generations. I pray to God that he continues to give inspiration and guide us”. The ceremony was held at Mr Vajpayee’s residence as he has been ailing for the past several years and has been out of public life for some time. Among those present were vice-president Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, home minister Rajnath Singh and close family members like foster daughter Namita and foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya. A minor controversy erupted over the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with some sources claiming she was “not invited”, though the Congress refused to Vajpayee a great delight to caricature:comment officially. The event was kept away from the media glare. A tea party was organised later by Rashtrapati Bhavan on the lawns of Mr Vajpayee’s residence that was attended by Cabinet ministers, former PM Manmohan Singh, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and some chief ministers, including Mufti Muhammad Sayeed of Kashmir and Parkash Singh Badal of Punjab. The announcement on a Bharat Ratna for Mr Vajpayee was made on December 24, a day before his 90th birthday. He was the first Indian politician to become PM who had never been a member of the Congress Party. But despite his right-wing Hindu nationalist connections, Mr Vajpayee had managed to project a moderate Nehruvian image. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who had gone to Mr Vajpayee’s residence, described the former PM as a “powerful nationalist leader”, and added that: “Atalji was not only a leader of India but of the whole world. He left an indelible imprint as a philosopher, poet and Prime Minister... It’s an occasion of joy for each one of us.” Despite her absence at the ceremony, Mrs Gandhi wrote in a letter to Mr Vajpayee: “Your broad and large-hearted vision, your patriotism and eloquent oratory have always embraced the entire political spectrum and all sections of our society.” She told the former PM that on this auspicious day, she shared the joy of his family and friends, as well as millions of Indians. The Bharat Ratna, she said, is a “fitting recognition of your statesmanship, wisdom, and deep committment to national interests during your prime ministership and indeed throughout your years in politics”. Source: The Asian Age, Image: flickr.com
