Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious Bharat Ratna by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister stated that Advani’s contributions to the development of India have been “monumental.”
PM Modi expressed his privilege to have interacted with and learned from Advani in a post shared on the social media platform X. He mentioned that the conferring of the Bharat Ratna on Advani was a very emotional moment for him and highlighted Advani’s unwavering commitment to transparency, integrity, and political ethics as well as his efforts towards national unity and cultural resurgence.
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 times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a… pic.twitter.com/Ya78qjJbPK
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 3, 2024
PM Modi referred to Advani as “one of the most respected statesmen of our times” and acknowledged his journey from grassroots work to serving as Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister, and I&B Minister, as well as his exemplary Parliamentary interventions.
Advani held various party and government posts during his political career, including Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and BJP President.
The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, is presented for “exceptional service/performance of the highest order.” Established in 1954, past recipients include Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.