LK Advani to be honoured with Bharat Ratna; leaders across political spectrum hail decision

New Delhi [India], February 3 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Lal Krishna Advani would be conferred with the country's highest civilian award-- the Bharat Ratna-- political leaders from across party lines greeted him and expressed delight at it.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi announced that Advani would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
Taking to 'X', PM Modi wrote, "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. One of the most respected statesmen of our time, 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."
"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 added.
LK Advani said that Bharat Ratna is not only an honour for him but for the ideals and principles he strove for in life to the best of his abilities. In a statement, Advani said he accepts the 'Bharat Ratna' with utmost humility.
LK Advani said he has been inspired by the motto 'idam-na-mama" and expressed his gratitude to BJP workers, RSS swayamsevaks and those with whom he worked in his long journey in public life.
"With utmost humility and gratitude, I accept the 'Bharat Ratna' that has been conferred on me today. It is not only an honour for me as a person, but also for the ideals and principles that I strove to serve throughout my life to the best of my ability," he said in the statement.
"Ever since I joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as its volunteer at the age of 14, I have sought reward in only one in dedicated and selfless service to my beloved country in whatever task life assigned to me. What has inspired my life is the motto 'idam-na-"'mama"--'This life is not mine, my life is for my nation'," he added.
He also expressed thanks to the President and PM Modi.
"My sincere thanks to President Droupadi Murmuji and Prime Minister Narendra Modiji for bestowing this honour on me. May our great country progress to the pinnacle of 'greatness and glory," he said.
BJP National President JP Nadda extended greetings to Advani and thanked PM Modi following the mega announcement.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Nadda said that the announcement instils a sense of delight in party workers across the country.
"Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modiji announced the conferring of the 'Bharat Ratna' on our senior and veteran leader, Lal Krishna Advaniji. The announcement instils a sense of delight in us," said Nadda.
"Advaniji is one of the leaders who dedicated his life to the nation and worked for the 'Jana Sangh' and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a sense of patriotism. The Bharatiya Janata Party, during its tenure in the past few years, has witnessed many ups and downs. But Advaniji has been the leader who nurtured the party even in adverse conditions," he added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also thanked the Prime Minister for conferring Bharat Ratna to the veteran BJP leader and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart has strengthened the country and democracy through his parliamentary and administrative abilities.
On the social media platform X, the Defence Minister said that Advani Ji also played an important role in keeping the unity and integrity of India intact.
"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. The significant contribution that Advani ji has made to the country's development and nation-building in various roles during his long public life is unforgettable and inspiring. He has also played an important role in keeping the unity and integrity of India intact. As a national leader, he has strengthened the country and democracy through his scholarship, parliamentary and administrative abilities. It is a matter of joy for every Indian to receive the honour of Bharat Ratna. I thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiji for this decision and congratulate Advaniji," Singh wrote on X.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "The decision to confer Bharat Ratna has brought happiness on the faces of crores of Indians. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulate Lal Krishna Advani."
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also extended greetings to the senior BJP leader, stating that he is an example of a 'crystal-clear' public personality.
"He (Lal Krishna Advani) is a role model to us due to his clean image in politics. No one has travelled our country as much as him; he conducted the highest number of Rathyatras. His contribution is very big for the Ram temple. Lal Krishna Advani is a person who perfectly and systematically organised parliamentary practice. He is an example of a crystal-clear public personality. Such a person being conferred with Bharat Ratna is the happiest moment for me," Joshi said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated the BJP veteran leader on the award, saying that Advani was an inspiration to all.
"The decision to honour the Bharat Ratna to respect Shri Lal Krishna Advani, a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, source of inspiration for countless workers and former Deputy Prime Minister, is in recognition of his decades of service, commitment and unwavering commitment towards the integrity of the nation in public life and political career. This is going to honour his unique efforts in setting high standards of purity and morality. His tireless efforts towards national integration and cultural revival are a source of unique inspiration for all of us. Hearty congratulations to respected Advani ji!" Yogi Adityanath said.


Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi met Advani at his residence in Delhi to extend greetings to the latter.
AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also extended his wishes to LK Advani and prayed for his long life.
"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," the AAP convenor posted on X.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar said that LK Advani has made a valuable contribution to the development of the country.
"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 to the development of the country. Heartiest congratulations," Pawar posted on X.
RJD leader Manoj Jha, too, expressed his happiness over the announcement.
"I am very happy to share that LK Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our time, 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 information and broadcasting minister as well. His parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights," he said.
Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani has served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party 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 Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).
Advani is widely regarded as an individual of great intellectual ability, strong principles, and unwavering support for the idea of a strong and prosperous India. As confirmed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani has 'never compromised on his core belief in nationalism, and yet has displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation'.
The veteran leader's celebration of India's independence from the British in 1947 was sadly short-lived, as he became one of the millions to be torn from his homeland amidst the terror and bloodshed of the tragedy of India's partition. These events, however, did not turn him bitter or cynical but instead spurred him on in his desire to create a more secular India. With this goal in mind, he journeyed to Rajasthan to continue his work as an RSS Pracharak.
Through the latter half of the 1980s and the 1990s, LK Advani focused on the singular task of building the BJP into a national political force. The results of his efforts were underscored by the 1989 general election. The party bounced back from its 1984 tally of 2 to achieve an impressive 86 seats. The party position moved up to 121 seats in 1992 and 161 in 1996, making the 1996 elections a watershed in Indian democracy. For the first time since independence, the Congress was dethroned from its preeminent position, and the BJP became the single largest party in the Lok Sabha.
It is significant to note that Advani is also one of the key figures in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. He was the BJP president when the BJP adopted a resolution on 'Ram temple' in Ayodhya in its 1989 executive meeting.
Advani, a true devotee of Lord Rama, led the 'Rath Yatra' from Gujarat's Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990, which changed the fate and picture of the movement. Among those accompanying Advani was Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat BJP's general secretary and in charge of the Yatra in Somnath.
The Yatra aimed to intensify the demand for the Ram Temple, which years later, was inaugurated last month.
Meanwhile, the BJP government, having announced that Advani would be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, has silenced the critics who earlier accused it of 'sidelining' him during the Pran Pratishtha event of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's temple.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had invited the BJP stalwart. However, he was advised not to come due to health concerns.
This is the seventh Bharat Ratna awarded by the Modi government since assuming office in 2014, the others being Karpoori Thakur, Madan Mohan Malviya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika, and Nanaji Deshmukh.