NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday presented Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, to BJP veteran and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani at his residence in Delhi. The formal ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and the family members of LK Advani. “LK Advani, a doyen of Indian politics, has served the nation with unwavering dedication and distinction for over seven decades. Born in Karachi in 1927, he migrated to India in 1947 against the backdrop of partition. With his vision of cultural nationalism, he toiled hard for decades, across the length and breadth of the country, and brought about a transformation in the socio-political landscape. When the Emergency put India’s democracy at risk, the indefatigable crusader in him helped guard it against authoritarian tendencies,” read a post shared by Rashtrapati Bhavan on X. “As a parliamentarian, his emphasis on dialogue enriched parliamentary traditions. Whether as Home Minister or as Deputy Prime Minister, he always prioritised the national interest above all, earning him respect and admiration from across party lines. His long and tireless struggle for India’s cultural regeneration culminated in the reconstruction of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2024. Among the handful of post-Independence political leaders who succeeded in reshaping the national agenda and placing it on the path of development, his accomplishments provide the best articulation of the genius of India and its inclusive traditions,” it added. LK Advani (96) served as the deputy prime minister from June 2002 to May 2004 and as the Union Home Minister from October 1999 to May 2004. He was BJP president multiple times — from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005.
