One of the most respected statesmen, his contribution to India’s development is monumental, says Prime Minister Modi

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this morning, calling the party stalwart’s contributions to the development of India ‘monumental’.

The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, is conferred in recognition of “exceptional service/ performance of the highest order.” Instituted in 1954, the list of awardees includes Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Vajpayee among others.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister wrote, “I am very happy to share that Shri L.K. 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 life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister,” PM Modi said.

Advani has labelled himself the ‘charioteer’ who steered the ‘rath yatra’ that began in Gujarat’s Somnath on Sept. 25, 1990 and culminated with the demolition of the Babri Masjid on Dec. 6, 1992. He returned to Ayodhya on Jan. 22 this year to see PM Modi, then his aide, leading the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.

An emotional moment: PM Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister further praised the veteran leader and said, he distinguished himself as India’s Home Minister and I&B Minister. “His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights.”

He said, Advani’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,” the Prime Minister said.

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on Nov. 8, 1927, Advani through the years had served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its  inception in 1980.

Capping a Parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

Advani is widely regarded as an individual of great intellectual ability, strong principles and unwavering support for the idea of a strong and prosperous India. As confirmed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani has ‘never compromised on his core belief in nationalism and yet has displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation.’

Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur

Last week, the Narendra Modi Government conferred Bharat Ratna (posthumous) on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur who, as CM of Bihar, was the first to implement an OBC quota with a sub-quota for MBCs in the north in 1978.

Thakur’s 26 percent package, that also had quotas for women and economically weaker sections and which provoked violent protests, was implemented a year before the Constitution of the Mandal Commission.

Belonging to the extremely backward Nai (barber) caste, ‘Jan Nayak’ Thakur was born into a poor family in north Bihar’s Samastipur district. He fought off the odds and obscene social prejudices to become an agent of change in the State which was synonymous with upper caste hegemony.