Lal Krishna Advani Conferred Bharat Ratna, Announces PM Modi

New Delhi: BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed the news to him.

Advani’s Rath Yatra for Ayodhya’s Ram Temple in the early 1990s was a major catalyst behind the rise of the BJP in Indian politics.

“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 wrote on X.

“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. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” PM Modi said.

“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.

LK Advani was born in Karachi, now in Pakistan. His family migrated to India after the Partition to settle down in Bombay. At the age of 14 he had joined the RSS. In 1951, he became a member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the political precursor to the BJP.

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time in 1970. He remained a member of the RS till 1989.

He first became the minister for information and broadcasting and leader of the house in Rajya Sabha in 1977.

He served as the president of the BJP party three times.

In 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha member for the first time. In Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999, Advani served as the minister of home affairs and the deputy prime minister.

In 2015, LK Advani was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.