BJP leader LK Advani received the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian accolade, at his Delhi home from President Droupadi Murmu.
New Delhi: BJP leader and former deputy prime minister L K Advani received the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, from President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday at his home in this city.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Mr. Advani’s family members were present during the ceremony, according to a post on X from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
While the President presented Mr. Advani with the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Modi was seated behind him.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan said that Mr. Advani is a doyen of Indian politics who has served the country for more than 70 years with unflinching dedication and distinction. He also added that as a legislator, his emphasis on discussion enhanced parliamentary traditions.
It stated in a series of posts on X that Mr. Advani consistently put the interests of the country above all else, whether in his capacity as deputy prime minister or as home minister, winning him respect and appreciation from people of all political stripes.
“His long and tireless struggle for India’s cultural regeneration culminated in the reconstruction of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2024,” stated the statement.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan stated and shared images of the event on X that Mr. Advani’s accomplishments offer the best articulation of India’s genius and inclusive traditions among the select few post-Independence political leaders who were able to reshape the national agenda and put it on the path of development.
Mr. Advani moved to India in 1947 after Partition after being born in Karachi (now in Pakistan) in 1927.
The 96-year-old BJP mainstay held the positions of Union home minister from October 1999 to May 2004 as well as deputy prime minister from June 2002 to May 2004. He served as president of the BJP three times: in 1986–1990, 1993–1998 and in 2004–2005.
According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr. Advani worked tirelessly for decades throughout the entire nation, bringing about a change in the socio-political landscape with his vision of cultural nationalism.
“When Emergency put India’s democracy at risk, the indefatigable crusader in him helped guard it against authoritarian tendencies,” the post stated.
According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s profile of the seasoned leader, Mr. Advani played a crucial role in the restoration of democracy during his tenure as the Janata Party government’s (1977–1979) communication and broadcasting minister by demolishing the Emergency’s antidemocratic legal structure.
At the time, he made a politically significant and intellectually stimulating contribution.
When Mr. Advani led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the late 1980s and set the groundwork for the resurgence of cultural nationalism, it was a high point in his political career.
“His struggle culminated in the reconstruction of the magnificent Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2024, thus fulfilling the decades-old aspirations of countless Indians,” stated the statement.
In his capacity as India’s home minister, Mr. Advani oversaw the most extensive changes to the country’s national security framework. In addition to taking a proactive and unyielding stance against cross-border terrorism, he consistently and sincerely worked to bring about peace in Kashmir.
Three additional states were created as a result of his emphasis on cordial center-state relations: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.
According to the veteran leader’s profile released by Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr. Advani’s eventful political life will be remembered for his tenacious and conscientious pursuit of fundamental, enduring ideas like the defense of democracy, cultural nationalism, and clean politics.
While fighting Emergency (1975–1977), Mr. Advani was incarcerated in Bangalore’s central jail for 19 months.
According to the article, Mr. Advani has consistently set the standard for political ethics with his book A Prisoner’s Scrap-Book (1977), which has received widespread acclaim as one of the greatest pieces of prison literature.
Mr. Advani, a statesman who blends intellect, morality, and widespread appeal, has been a voracious reader and prolific writer.
In 2015, Mr. Advani received the second-highest civilian award in the nation, the Padma Vibhushan, for his extraordinary achievements in public life.
Five Bharat Ratna medals were presented this year by the government: one for Mr. Advani, four posthumously to former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, M S Swaminathan, an agriculture expert, and Karpoori Thakur, a two-time chief minister of Bihar.