HYDERABAD: Recalling that Atal Bihari Vajpayee worked as a journalist and was president of the Jan Sangh, a Member of Parliament, served as Foreign Minister in the Janata Party government, the founder-president of the BJP and prime minister of the country, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday said that the late leader dedicated his life to the nation.
Kishan was addressing the birth centenary of Vajpayee organised by the Telangana BJP at the party’s state headquarters at Nampally. A rally was taken from the party office to Dr BR Ambedkar statue in which Kishan, party MP K Laxman and others participated.
The Union minister said that Vajpayee was steadfast in his principles, inspiring millions of BJP workers with his integrity and vision. He recalled that Vajpayee was the first person to address the United Nations in Hindi, upholding India’s cultural pride on the global stage.
Kishan recalled a few of the major decisions by the former prime minister like simplifying the process for obtaining passports and launching significant infrastructure projects like connecting major cities with world-class highways.
“Vajpayee rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, ensuring rural connectivity and development and he empowered farmers with the Kisan Credit Card initiative. He also launched the Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana from Hyderabad to provide housing for the underprivileged,” he said.
The BJP state president said that as foreign minister, Vajpayee represented India with distinction, leaving a lasting impression at global forums like the United Nations. “He stood firm during the Kargil War, leading India to victory against Pakistan and also successfully conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran asserting India as a nuclear power despite international pressure,” he said.
Kishan stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was building on Vajpayee’s legacy, and has transformed India into the world’s fifth-largest economy with welfare programmes that have reached the most marginalised communities.