Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary at the Lok Bhavan in Lucknow on Monday.
Remembering the former PM, the Chief Minister said that Atal Bihari was the “Ajat Shatru” (the one who has no enemy) of Indian politics.
“Along with highlighting the political instability in India, he set an exemplary standard of purity and transparency in politics. The foundation for the new benchmarks of development, security, and good governance established by India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last nine and a half years was laid by Atal Bihari during his tenure, CM Yogi remarked. He also said that various governments, including the Bharatiya Janata Party governments, are observing Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.
This year marks the centenary year of Vajpayee’s birth.
“Everyone is aware that he was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. However, he chose Uttar Pradesh as his workplace and received education there. He is also known for his connection with Bateshwar in Agra, his ancestral land. Atal Bihari has provided a new direction to society and the nation,” CM Yogi stated. CM Yogi further pointed out that the government would adopt his ideals and work accordingly.
“The government will organise various programmes from the village level to the state level to keep Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s memories alive in the literary field. Additionally, programmes will be conducted in schools of the Basic Education Board, universities, and other academic institutions to highlight his literary interests and contributions to journalism,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Mayor Sushma Kharwal, and others attended the event.
Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996 to June 1 1996 and again from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. He also served as India’s External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018.
After coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to honour the former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, declared that December 25 would be celebrated as Good Governance Day every year.