Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the residence of veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani to extend birthday greetings as the Bharat Ratna awardee turned 99 and entered the 100th year of his life.
Advani, born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi, completed 99 years on Sunday. Modi met the veteran leader at his residence and conveyed his wishes for good health and longevity.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister described November 8 as a landmark occasion and paid tribute to Advani's contributions to India's political landscape, particularly his role in strengthening the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and transforming the Bharatiya Janata Party into a major national political force.
Modi also penned a detailed article highlighting Advani's political journey, his experiences during Partition, his opposition to the Emergency and his association with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Prime Minister recalled Advani's leadership during the Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra, his contributions to the BJP's organisational expansion and his service in government.
He also highlighted the veteran leader's personal interests, including his passion for reading, cinema and writing.
𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲
In his tribute, Modi reflected on Advani's early life in Sindh and the challenges he faced following the Partition of India in 1947, when he moved to the country and rebuilt his life.
He credited Advani with playing an important role in the growth of the Jana Sangh and subsequently the BJP, particularly during the party's formative decades.
The Prime Minister also recalled Advani's opposition to the Emergency imposed in 1975 and his imprisonment during that period.
Modi highlighted the political partnership between Advani and Vajpayee, describing their decades-long association as an important chapter in the development of the BJP.
He also revisited his personal association with Advani during the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, when the veteran leader contested from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Modi recalled assisting with Advani's election-related paperwork and campaign preparations while working in the party organisation.
Advani went on to represent Gandhinagar in Parliament for several terms and served as Union Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government.
𝐁𝐉𝐏 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧
The BJP marked Advani's 99th birthday with a special puja and havan at its national headquarters in New Delhi, praying for his long life and good health.
Party president Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and other senior BJP leaders participated in the programme, which coincided with Diwali celebrations.
Advani's daughter, Pratibha Advani, was also present at the event.
The programme included the screening of a special 20-minute video featuring important speeches and moments from Advani's political career.
Party leaders recalled his contributions to the organisation and his role in nurturing successive generations of BJP workers.
Nabin also visited Advani's residence along with Goyal and BJP national general secretary B L Santosh to personally convey birthday greetings.
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬
Several prominent political figures, including former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, former President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, extended birthday greetings to Advani.
Deve Gowda recalled his friendship with the BJP veteran, saying their association dated back more than five decades to the Emergency period.
The former Prime Minister wished Advani good health and happiness as he entered his centenary year.
Kovind also acknowledged Advani's decades-long contribution to public life, while Prasad highlighted the significance of the occasion and referred to Modi's article on the veteran leader's political journey.
Advani, who was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024, remains one of the prominent figures associated with the BJP's rise from a relatively small political organisation to a major national party.
His political career spans several decades, including his leadership of the BJP, his role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and his tenure in the Union government.
The celebrations on Sunday marked the beginning of Advani's 100th year, with political leaders across party lines acknowledging his long association with Indian public life.