Following the conferral of the Bharat Ratna on former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress party, commending the veteran BJP leader for his lifelong commitment to freeing India’s democracy from the dominance of one party and one family. Addressing a public meeting in Sambalpur, PM Modi praised Advani’s efforts, stating, “He continuously fought to free India’s democracy from the prison of one party and one family. He guided everyone and challenged ‘pariwarwaadi vichardhara’ (Dynastic ideology) and linked India’s democracy with the all-inclusive and nationalist ideology. Today we all are seeing the results of that. I would like to congratulate Advani Ji again and wish him a long life.”
This marks the seventh Bharat Ratna awarded by the Modi government since coming to power in 2014, with previous recipients including Karpoori Thakur, Madan Mohan Malviya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika, and Nanaji Deshmukh.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi announced that the veteran BJP leader LK Advani would be honored with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country. Advani expressed his gratitude and humility, stating, “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.”
Advani, at the age of 96, served in various prominent roles, including Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Information and Broadcasting Minister. He acknowledged his long association with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, expressing gratitude to party workers, swayamsevaks, and others who supported him.
Opposition leaders, including AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and NCP’s Sharad Pawar, welcomed the decision, with Kejriwal extending his wishes for Advani’s health and longevity, and Pawar acknowledging Advani’s significant contribution to the country’s development. RJD leader Manoj Jha also expressed happiness over the announcement.