Lucknow, Aug 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak on Saturday paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his seventh death anniversary.
“Vajpayee’s political career spanned six decades. Today, on the occasion of his death anniversary, I pay my humble tributes to him on behalf of the people of the state,” Adityanath said at the Lok Bhavan.
“What should be the life values and ideals of India? What should be the model of development? How can India and Indianness be given prestige on the global platform? Whether in power or the opposition, Atal ji always kept these things in mind and provided his effective leadership in this regard,” the chief minister said.
Adityanath also said that it is the good fortune of Uttar Pradesh that Vajpayee started his political career from Balrampur.
“In 1957, he became an MP from the Balrampur parliamentary seat for the first time. It is the good fortune of Lucknow that Atal ji reached the country’s Parliament as an MP from the city five times in a row, and represented Uttar Pradesh as the prime minister,” he said.
“Atal ji, a 10-time Lok Sabha MP and two-time Rajya Sabha member, is a guide not only for the present generation, but also for the future generations,” the chief minister said.
A poet and a statesman, Vajpayee served as the prime minister from May 16 to June 1 1996, and then from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004.
The first non-Congress prime minister to complete a five-year term, Vajpayee is credited with pushing economic reforms that paved the way for a period of high growth.
Earlier in a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said, “He (Vajpayee) was the architect of purity in Indian politics, the voice of gentleness, the flag-bearer of morality in the national scene. Atal ji was a symbol of political ‘sadhana’ in the true sense…” Deputy Chief Minister Maurya said in a post on X, “Paid tributes to the visionary of New India, Bharat Ratna and former prime minister, the revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, on his death anniversary by offering flowers at his photograph at his government residence on 7, Kalidas Marg.” “Atal ji’s entire life was dedicated to making the national interests supreme in the life and soul of the Bharatiya Janata Party, to take its ideology to the masses and to make politics synonymous with character, service and sacrifice. His personality, ideals and national duty are an eternal source of inspiration for all of us,” Maurya added.
In a post on X, Deputy Chief Minister Pathak said, “Heartfelt tributes on the death anniversary of the man of the era of Indian politics, the guide of countless workers and our source of inspiration, former prime minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji.” Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said, “Atal ji was a great man, his affection used to charm everyone. His speech had the presence of Goddess Saraswati (in it). Humble tributes on his death anniversary.” In Deoria, state minister Surya Pratap Shahi said, “Vajpayee ji’s contribution in establishing India on the world stage was remarkable. He was a man with a great personality. He increased India’s prestige with his eloquence and knowledge.” PTI NAV COR ARI
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