Veteran BJP politician Lal Krishna Advani to be honored with Bharat Ratan, the highest civilian award in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in the morning. Calling Advani ‘one of the most respected statesmen’, the Prime minister said that his contribution to the development of India is monumental.
I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour,” PM Modi said on X, formerly Twitter.
Lal Krishna Advani to be honored with Bharat Ratan
His life started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” said Narendra PM Modi.
He also praised the former BJP president for settling “an exemplary standard” in political ethics.
He added that “Advani Ji’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics. He has made unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence,”
The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me. I will always consider it my privilege that I got countless opportunities to interact with him and learn from him,” he added at the end.
Veteran Politician Lal Krishna Advani’s Early life and his contribution to Indian Politics
Lal Krishna Advani is an Indian politician who has been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the major political parties in India. He was born on (born 8 November 1927) is an Indian politician who served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is one of the co-founders of Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation. He is the longest serving Minister of Home Affairs serving from 1998 to 2004. He is also the longest serving Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He was the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP during the 2009 general election.
Advani was born in Karachi and migrated to India during the Partition of India and settled down in Bombay where he completed his college education. Advani joined the RSS in 1941 at the age of fourteen and worked as a pracharak Rajasthan.
Advani married Kamla Advani in February 1965 and they have a son Jayant and a daughter Pratibha. Pratibha is a television producer and also supports her father in his political activities. His wife died on 6 April 2016 due to old age. Advani resides in Delhi.
In 1990, Advani embarked on Ram Rath yatra procession with a chariot to mobilise volunteers for Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The procession began from Somnath in Gujarat and headed to converge at Ayodhya. In the 1991general election, the BJP became the second largest party after the Congress with Advani winning for the second time from Gandhinagar and becoming the leader of opposition again. In 1992, Babri Masjid was demolished with Advani alleged to have delivered a provocative speech prior to the demolition.
I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a… pic.twitter.com/Ya78qjJbPK
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 3, 2024
Advani was among the accused in the demolition case but was acquitted on 30 September 2020 by a special court. In the judgement, it was mentioned that the demolition was not pre-planned and that Advani was trying to stop the mob and not incite them.
Advani has been a Member of Parliament for several terms and has represented constituencies from different states. He is known for his strong advocacy of Hindutva, a nationalist and cultural ideology associated with the Hindu right-wing.
He served in the Indian Parliament until 2019 and is credited for rise of BJP as a major political party. In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan India’s second highest civilian honour and now in 2024, he will be conferred with Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.