Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that conferring of Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, to BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani is an emotional moment for him.
The prime minister, who accompanied Advani during his Rath Yatra that changed the political fortunes of the BJP in late 80s, said that he will consider it as his privilege to word with him and learn from his experiences.
“Advani Ji’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics. He has made unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence. The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me. I will always consider it my privilege that I got countless opportunities to interact with him and learn from him,” the prime minister wrote on ‘X’.
Advani is the second BJP veteran after Atal Bihari Vajpayee to have recieved the Bharat Ratna.
Modi said that Advani’s journey started from working at grassroots level and he went on to serve the country and that his contribution to India’s development is monumental.
“One of the most respected statesmen of our times, 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,” Modi said while announcing the Bharat Ratna for the BJP veteran.