New Delhi, Dec 24(UNI) A ‘Deepotsav’ was organised at the Delhi BJP state headquarters and across all 14 district offices of the national capital on Wednesday to mark the the birth anniversary year of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Party offices and buildings were illuminated with electric lights as part of the observance.
In each district, a prominent public location was selected where a portrait of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was displayed and floral tributes were paid by party workers.
At the Delhi BJP state headquarters, BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi government minister Pravesh Sahib Singh and Manjinder Singh Sirsa inaugurated the programme by lighting lamps in front of a flower-decorated portrait of Vajpayee and offering floral tributes. Several BJP office-bearers, NDMC members and programme conveners also participated in the tribute ceremony.
On the eve of Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, 101 lamps were lit in front of his portrait at the state headquarters, which was fully illuminated to mark the occasion. Similar programmes were held at district offices, where district presidents, MPs, MLAs, councillors and party functionaries paid floral tributes and lit lamps.
Addressing party workers, Sachdeva described Vajpayee as a great statesman and recounted his political journey.
“The former Prime Minister who began his political journey with the Jana Sangh in 1951 and later became a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Vajpayee was known not only for his political leadership but also a poet, and his poems and famous sayings became extremely popular,” he said.
Sachdeva further said that ”Atal Ji always had a constant smile on his face and was popular not only among Jana Sangh or BJP workers but among workers of all political parties. Wherever he delivered speeches, people from other parties and ideologies would also come to listen. During the 1971 war for the creation of Bangladesh, he supported the then Congress government. However, four years later in 1975, when the Congress government imposed the Emergency and curtailed citizens’ fundamental rights, he strongly opposed it and went to jail”.
”Vajpayee served as Prime Minister of India three times in 1996, 1998 and 1999. During his tenure, he implemented several important economic and political reforms, including the nuclear tests of Pokhran-II.
He contested elections from various regions, but by winning continuously from the Muslim-majority Lucknow constituency from 1991 to 2004, he demonstrated how inclusive and universally accepted a leader he was.” Sachdeva added
Sachdeva stated some of Atal Bihari Vajpayee”s famous sayings-
• “India is a nation where dreams are seen and come true.”
• “We have a dream to build a strong and prosperous India.”
• “In politics, sometimes you have to shake hands even with your opponents.”
”Vajpayee was honoured with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 2015 for his outstanding contributions. He passed away on 16 August 2018, but his legacy will always be remembered in Indian politics.” BJP official said.
Delhi Government Minister Pravesh Sahib Singh said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was, and will always remain, a source of inspiration for workers of all ages young, middle-aged and elderly.
He added that the gentle-natured and confident Atal Bihari Vajpayee was neither shaken by defeat nor arrogant in victory, and by following the ideals of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, he viewed politics and power as a means for uplifting the last person in society.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave the country its first stable non-Congress coalition government and, by introducing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, ensured that the benefits of development reached farmers.
BJP organises ‘Deepotsav’ to observe Vajpayee’s birth anniversary
