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On the occasion of veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani 99th birthday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla on Sunday extended warm birthday greetings.
In a post on X, Shukla described Advani as a "senior statesman" and offered heartfelt birthday wishes and congratulations. "May God bless you with good health, a long life, and a life of happiness," he wrote. https://x.com/ShuklaRajiv/status/2119308284813594660?a=n1gRHPpOVLltkvdWcpo&s=20 The BJP marked the occasion with fervour as the party's national president Nitin Nabin performed a havan at the party's headquarters, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned an article on Advani's life. Party leaders used the day to credit the Rath Yatra for the Ram Mandir, positioning Advani's legacy as central to the party's founding story. Sharing the article on X, PM Modi wrote that as a youngster in 1947, Advani experienced the pain of leaving behind his world in Sindh, yet rebuilt his life "without bitterness." That trait, he said, defined Advani's work in strengthening the Jana Sangh and building the BJP. The article was published in various national dailies as well. "His tenures as BJP President saw the Congress falling sharply from 400 to below 200 in 1989 and the BJP becoming the single largest party for the first time in 1996. Advani Ji nurtured generations of Karyakartas and gave the Party a clear foundation rooted in the principle of Nation First," wrote the PM. Born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi (present-day Pakistan), Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a Swayamsevak in 1942. He played a pivotal role in Indian politics, serving as BJP National President for three separate terms, from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998, and 2004 to 2005, making him the longest-serving president in the party's history since its inception in 1980. LK Advani first served as the Home Minister from 1999 to 2004 and later served as Deputy Prime Minister in the NDA government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2002 to 2004. In recognition of his exceptional contribution to the nation, Advani was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, by President Droupadi Murmu in March this year. Over a parliamentary career spanning nearly three decades, Advani has been widely acknowledged for his steadfast principles, visionary leadership, and lifelong dedication to strengthening India's democratic and cultural framework. (ANI)
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