Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official X account announced that BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani will be honoured with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. In the tweet, he said that Advani is one of the most respected statesmen of his time and has made an important contribution to the development of India.
Advani has served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and has been a member of both Houses of the Parliament between 1970 and 2019. He has also made a significant contribution towards bringing BJP to a prominent stage, standing for Modi during the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was held responsible.
How did Advani become Modi’s ‘shield’?
During the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi was the Chief Minister of the state and was advised by Prime Minister Vajpayee to follow ‘Rajdharma’. While Vajpayee wanted Modi to resign, Advani was against it.
Advani mentioned this incident in his autobiography, “My Country My Life”, stating that he strongly opposed the demand for Modi’s resignation over the Gujarat riots.
Advani also sent Modi to work in Gujarat after BJP’s setback in the 1984 elections, eventually putting him in the position of the National General Secretary of the party.
How did Modi become Advani’s ‘saarathi’ (charioteer)?
In the 1990s, Modi supported Advani during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and had control of Advani’s Rath Yatra. After the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992, Advani was present during the investigation conducted by the Liberhan Commission.