Jammu: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who joined a prayer ceremony at ‘Sadaiv Atal’, the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Wednesday to pay tributes to him on his birth centenary.
Union ministers, including Amit Shah and J P Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge besides BJP allies such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union ministers Lalan Singh of the JD(U) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S) also paid homage to the BJP stalwart.
Kharge, Nadda, who is also the BJP president, besides many parliamentarians, including ministers, visited the Central Hall of the old parliament building, now called Samvidhan Sadan, to offer floral tributes to Vajpayee’s portrait.
Ruling alliance members were also present in the prayer ceremony at Sadaiv Atal where Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla besides the members of Vajpayee’s adopted family joined as well.
Modi said in a post on X that the impact of how Vajpayee preserved constitutional values and gave a new direction and momentum to the country will remain forever.
Paying homage to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LG spoke on the lifelong campaigns of the former Prime Minister dedicated to nation building and public welfare.
“Nation should be supreme for an individual. To ensure this Atal Ji gave us the principles of ‘Indianization’ and ‘Nation-First’. Every section of society should work together to make the country self-reliant with undivided loyalty,” he said.
LG called upo n the people, especially the youth to rededicate themselves to the ideals of Mahamana and Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and strive to build a progressive society and work unitedly to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat.
“We do not have to live in the past but we must take inspiration from history to build a brighter future,” he said.
He highlighted that the Youth have a very important role to play in taking public services to the grassroots levels. To achieve this, we need to start shaping a new framework for Jan-Bhagidari and use new technologies for transparency and accountability at all levels, he added.
“Unity is our greatest strength. Young generation must unite the society with determination. I want to see every hand working like a skilled sculptor to create a beautiful, victorious and prosperous India. I want to see a sense of responsibility, steadfastness towards duties and steely determination in every youth towards nation-building,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
LG emphasised that our cultural ideals and values should be paramount for the new political and economic system.
“Today is the opportunity for us to build a brighter tomorrow for the country and to ensure that societal attitude is changed towards responsibilities. Whole of Government Approach should be adopted to achieve socio-economic goals,” the Lieutenant Governor observed.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir BJP celebrated the birthday of Bharat Ratna former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as ‘Sushasan Diwas’ by paying floral tributes to him at various places across the Union Territory.
The party organised an exhibition on the life and works of Vajpayee at the BJP headquarters in Jammu.
Led by J-K BJP president Sat Sharma and Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, senior party leaders paid floral tributes at the statue of the former prime minister at Atal Chowk in Jammu.
Sharma, accompanied by general secretary Ashok Koul, inaugurated the exhibition at the party headquarters and said that the entire nation is remembering the former prime minister on his birth anniversary.
He saud that Vajpayee dedicated his entire life to the service of the motherland, leading a simple life while exemplifying the principle of “Tan Samarpit, Man Samarpit, Aur Yeh Jeevan Samarput, Chahta Hun Desh Ki Dharti, Tujhe Kuch Aur Bhi Doon.”
Sharma praised Vajpayee for his “unwavering commitment” to strengthening the nation, particularly highlighting the Pokhran nuclear tests. “His commitment was such that he never compromised on national interests,” Sharma said.
He further said that Vajpayee had been involved in national movements since his student days and played a pivotal role in leading India to victory in the Kargil War.
“While India had previously won wars on the battlefield but lost diplomatically due to weak leadership, Vajpayee’s governance ensured success both on the ground and in diplomacy,” Sharma said.
The exhibition was organised by the Department of Publications. Organisers announced that similar exhibitions would be displayed at district-level programmes across the Union Territory throughout the year to commemorate the birth centenary of Vajpayee.
The Sushasan Diwas was celebrated by the BJP in various districts, tehsil and block headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir, where floral tributes were paid to him.
