Atal Bihari Vajpayee deeply enriched Indian political space, says Manoj Sinha

New Delhi [India], December 26 : On the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that he has deeply enriched the Indian political space and the big shift in economic reform was his brainchild.
"Atal Ji has deeply enriched the Indian political space. The big shift in economic reform was the brainchild of Atal Ji. Despite large and difficult coalition partners, he fast-tracked several futuristic policies including Golden Quadrilateral, PMGSY, disinvestment, Telecom revolution & Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan," Sinha said while addressing a special event to commemorate the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
Sinha also termed Vajpayee as a "true statesman, poet, writer, who was indeed the greatest orator country has heard after Independence."
"Through his sharp political understanding and cross-party appeal, Atal Ji significantly shaped the political discourse of his era. He even encouraged regional aspirations by accommodating smaller parties for the larger national cause," the Lt Governor added.
"As the nation is celebrating 75 years of Independence, we must remember the contribution of all the great personalities who worked tirelessly for strengthening the Indian democracy, nationalism, and upliftment of the marginalized sections. Among all the leaders, Atal Ji was a true statesman, who rose above the party lines in the larger interest," Sinha said.
"Walking on the path shown by the great visionary leader, the government is continuously working to make development, peace, progress, and social harmony the most integral part of the narrative of Jammu and Kashmir," the Lt Governor said.
"Over the decades, many governments under pressure refrained from conducting the Pokhran test. It was because of the vision and courage of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji the world saw that India will not allow its national interests to be undermined, whether it is to develop nuclear weapons capability or missile system. By linking internal security with the economy, he sent out a stern message that if the nation is strong, it will not bow down to anyone," the Lt Governor said.
"Today, India is keeping its head high in the global arena and proving its mettle in defence due to toughest decisions taken by Atal Ji which clearly shaped the future of the country," added the Lt Governor.
Recalling the formidable efforts of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Lt Governor said that it was the firm belief of Atal Ji that a progressive society could not be established in the country until people of the country are empowered.
"He embodied his ideas in the spirit of collective responsibility, to provide economic, social, educational, and political rights to the marginalized people and worked tirelessly for public welfare and securing social, economic, and political justice for underprivileged and backward classes," the Lt Governor observed.
Following the ideals of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Ji established a system of fear-free, corruption-free, hunger-free public centric good governance system in the country, the Lt Governor noted.
"Atal Ji has greatly influenced the politics of post-independence India. From connecting villages with roads and building houses for the poor in the villages to bringing revolutions in various sectors, Atal Ji has his deep imprints on system-reforms taking place even today," added the Lt Governor.