"LK Advani an ideology in himself...would like to thank PM Modi:" G Kishan Reddy

Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi announced that Advani would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.

"LK Advani has played a big role in making the party (BJP) strong. I would like to thank PM Modi today...This is an honour for all our party workers...LK Advani is an ideology," Reddy said while speaking to ANI.

Prime Minister Modi, earlier today, also expressed glee while making the announcement.

Taking to 'X', PM Modi wrote, "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 time, 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."

"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," the Prime Minister added.

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani has 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 Shri 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'.

The veteran leader's celebration of India's independence from the British in 1947 was sadly short-lived, as he became one of the millions to be torn from his homeland amidst the terror and bloodshed of the tragedy of India's partition. These events, however, did not turn him bitter or cynical but instead spurred him on in his desire to create a more secular India. With this goal in mind, he journeyed to Rajasthan to continue his work as an RSS Pracharak.

Through the latter half of the 1980s and the 1990s, LK Advani focused on the singular task of building the BJP into a national political force. The results of his efforts were underscored by the 1989 general election. The party bounced back from its 1984 tally of 2 to achieve an impressive 86 seats. The party position moved up to 121 seats in 1992 and 161 in 1996, making the 1996 elections a watershed in Indian democracy. For the first time since independence, the Congress was dethroned from its preeminent position, and the BJP became the single largest party in the Lok Sabha.It is significant to note that Advani is also one of the key figures in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. He was the BJP president when the BJP adopted a resolution on 'Ram temple' in Ayodhya in its 1989 executive meeting.

Advani, a true devotee of Lord Rama, led the 'Rath Yatra' from Gujarat's Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990, which changed the fate and picture of the movement. Among those accompanying Advani was Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat BJP's general secretary and in charge of the Yatra in Somnath. (ANI)