BJP stalwart LK Advani said on Saturday receiving Bharat Ratna is “not only an honour for me as a person but also for ideals and principles that I strove to serve.” The BJP leader also expressed gratitude to President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi for bestowing him with Bharat Ratna.
“Since joining the RSS, I sought reward only in dedicated and selfless service of my beloved country in whatever task life assigned to me,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.
Making an announcement in a post on X, PM Modi said, “I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour.” He said Advani is “one of the most respected statesmen of our times” and 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,” the Prime Minister said.
While speaking in Odisha on Saturday, PM Modi said, “Advani ji is a symbol of the fact that the nation never forgets those who spend their lives in the service of the nation…” He added, “Bharat Ratna to LK Advani is honour to ideology of nation first.”
How top BJP leaders and allies reacted:
Union ministers, top BJP leaders and the party’s allies said the award to Advani is “well deserved” and serves as a poignant acknowledgement of a “national hero’s life” devoted to the service of the nation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “The decision to award Bharat Ratna to the revered Lal Krishna Advani ji, an inspiration to all of us and a senior leader of the country, has brought great joy and happiness. He is a symbol of purity, dedication and determination in politics.”
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur extended “sincerest wishes” to the party veteran on being conferred the highest civilian award. He said it serves as a “poignant acknowledgement of a national hero’s life” devoted to the service of the nation.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke to BJP stalwart and former deputy PM LK Advani over the phone and congratulated him after his name was announced as a recipient of the Bharat Ratna.
Kumar said in a tweet, “I also got an opportunity to work with him in the Union cabinet during the tenure of former PM respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I learnt a lot from him.”
LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, whose party is a BJP ally in Bihar, said, “…I convey my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to respected Shri Lal Krishna Advani ji. Many thanks and gratitude to Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji.”‘
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “It is a matter of great happiness for us that BJP stalwart and our guide Sri Lal Krishna Advani ji is to be conferred the Bharat Ratna.” He added, “He has been an inspiration for all of us.”
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said this is a matter of happiness. “We have seen him working in various capacities. We thank Modiji. We know the various stages of Advaniji’s life. During the Emergency, he was a fighter for democracy,” Yadav said.
How Opposition leaders reacted
RJD leader Manoj Jha, too, expressed his happiness over the announcement. “…His (Advani’s) 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 information and broadcasting minister as well. His parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, while congratulating the veteran BJP leader, took a veiled dig at the ruling party at the Centre.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, she said the announcement of the country’s highest civilian honour for LK Advani marks the fulfilment of the BJP’s agenda after the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
“It is good that the Ram Temple finally saw the light of day and Advani-ji would also be conferred with the Bharat Ratna. It marks the fulfilment of the BJP’s agenda. I would like to wish heartiest congratulations to Lal Krishna Advani on being picked for the country’s highest (civilian) honour,” Kavitha told ANI on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said LK Advani made a place for himself in politics. “We (Samajwadi Party) always had and will have a great respect for him,” he told media on Saturday.
AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said, “Many congratulations and best wishes to senior leader Lal Krishna Advani ji on the announcement of the Bharat Ratna award. I pray to God that he always remains healthy and lives long.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar said, “India’s former Deputy Prime Minister and senior leader, LK Advani, is delighted to be awarded Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour. He has made a valuable contribution in the development of the country. Heartiest congratulations.”
Telugu Desam Party (TDP chief) Chandrababu Naidu also congratulated Advani and said, “Advani Ji has distinguished himself through exemplary hard work and devotion towards the nation. A scholar and statesman, he has made exceptional contributions to the country. I’ve had the privilege of working with him. His genuine warmth and affectionate nature leave a lasting impression on everyone.”
Who is LK Advani
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).
