Birth centenary celebrations: India turned nuclear power under Vajpayee’s helm

Hyderabad: Former Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee has made a mark in whatever role he played.

Addressing while participating in the centenary celebrations of the former Prime Minister organised under the aegis of Telangana BJP on Wednesday, he said, “Atal ji’s life began as an RSS activist. He was a talented writer, poet, and orator who captivated people. As a statesman and Prime Minister, he served as a responsible Indian citizen making his mark in whatever role he played”.

Recalling the last journey of Vajpayee, he said that after sunset, thousands of people, along with top leaders and activists of the BJP, had walked from AIIMS to his residence and then to ‘Sadaiva Atal’. This demonstrated the admiration and respect the public holds for him. “The mutual respect between Vajpayee and late PV Narasimha Rao is priceless, and our party also honours PV Narasimha Rao with the same respect.”

He charged that the Congress party undermined democracy and democratic values during the Emergency. In contrast, BJP and Vajpayee have always worked to uphold democratic values. “Congress prevented Dr BR Ambedkar from receiving the Bharat Ratna, while our party has has always respected Ambedkar,” he said.

Anurag Thakur recalled that soldiers from Himachal Pradesh made significant sacrifices in the Kargil War, with two of the four soldiers awarded the Param Vir Chakra hailing from the state of Himachal Pradesh. “When Narendra Modi visited Kargil during the war, he was surprised to hear soldiers chanting praises for Bharat Mata and Atal Bihari Vajpayee”, he added.

In 1997, during India’s Golden Jubilee, we faced ridicule abroad, with people portraying us as beggars and snake charmers. This was disheartening. However, within two years, the situation changed dramatically when the NDA government, under Vajpayee’s leadership, came to power. India surprised the world by being recognised as a nuclear power. The international press, which once criticized us, began publishing articles that celebrated our nation’s greatness. This is an example of effective leadership. Vajpayee introduced the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan” to advance the country in science and technology.

BJP top ideologues Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and Vajpayee wanted that Article 370 should be abrogated with a vision of “Two Prime ministers, two flags, and two Constitutions have no place in the country”. This vision has been brought to fruition under Modi’s leadership, he recalled.