“It was very special to witness the conferring of the Bharat Ratna upon Shri LK Advani Ji. This honour is a recognition of his enduring contributions to our nation’s progress. His dedication to public service and his pivotal role in shaping modern India have left an indelible mark on our history. I am proud to have got the opportunity to work with him very closely over the last several decades,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Lal Krishna Advani’s name was among five names nominated by the PM Modi-led Union Government this year for the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. On Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously on two former Prime Ministers- Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao, former Bihar Chief Minister and socialist icon Karpoori Thakur, and agriculturist MS Swaminathan.

Lal Krishna Advani and the rise of BJP

Along with his close friend Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani founded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980 and contested his first Lok Sabha election in 1989 from the New Delhi seat. Lal Krishna Advani was at the forefront of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple movement and started a Rath Yatra in the 1990s to demand the construction of the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.

Lal Krishna Advani served as the Deputy Prime Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and played a major role in establishing a strong ground connection for the BJP, which led to its monumental rise in 2014.

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Published: 31 Mar 2024, 03:46 PM IST