BJP leader LK Advani to receive Bharat Ratna – India’s highest civilian award

The prime minister said he is very happy to share that Advani (96) will be conferred the country’s highest civilian award.

In 1980, he played a pivotal role as one of the founding members of the BJP, alongside Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He went on to serve as the party’s president on three occasions.

Modi spoke to the BJP’s longest-serving president, who is credited with crafting the party’s rise through the 90s when it came to power for the first time as the head of coalition governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and congratulated him.

Advani’s parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary and full of rich insights, Modi said.

In 2015, he received the Padma Vibhushan, which is India’s second-highest civilian honour.

Prime minister @narendramodi announces #BharatRatna – India’s highest civilian award to BJP senior leader Lal Krishna Advani.

Announcement comes days after consecration of Ram Temple in #Ayodhya.

LK Advani had led countrywide Rath yatra to mobilise support for the cause. pic.twitter.com/1bspr7W8EV

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) February 3, 2024

Jayant Advani, son of LK Advani, expressed happiness about his father being conferred with the Bharat Ratna, speaking to the media, he said, “My family and I are extremely delighted about this new development. I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi for conferring this award on my father.”

He further added: “My father’s contribution to public life has been immense and it is wonderful to note that at this stage in his life, his efforts are being recognised in this magnificent way.”

Political career

LK Advani’s political career began in 1951, as a member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. He was also an active member of the RSS, where he served many roles, in 1970 he became a member of the RSS national executive.

In 1970, Advani became a member of the Rajya Sabha for the first time and served in that position for four terms until 1989. He became the president of Jan Sangh in 1973. Before the 1977 general election, Jan Sangh merged into the Janata Party. After the Janata Party won the elections, Advani became the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and also led the House in the Rajya Sabha.

In 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time and continued to serve for seven terms. He became the leader of the opposition in both houses of Parliament.

From 1998 to 2004, he held the position of Minister of Home Affairs, and from 2002 to 2004, he was the Deputy Prime Minister. He remained a member of the Indian Parliament until 2019 and played a crucial role in the BJP becoming a major political party.

Also Read: LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi requested not to attend consecration: Ram Temple Trust

Rath Yatra

In 1990, Advani started the Ram Rath Yatra, a journey with a chariot to gather support for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The yatra began from Somnath in Gujarat and aimed to reach Ayodhya. While Advani’s Yatra was stopped in Bihar, hundreds of ‘karsevaks’ of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other RSS-affiliated organisations went on to illegally demolition the centuries-old Babri mosque.

Advani faced accusations in the demolition case related to the Babri Masjid, but he was acquitted on 30 September 2020, by a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The court’s judgment highlighted that the demolition was not pre-planned, and it mentioned that Advani was attempting to prevent the crowd from demolishing the structure rather than encouraging them.

Incidentally, LK Advani and another leader MM Joshi skipped the consecration ceremony citing extreme cold weather and old age.

(With PTI inputs)