Highlights: ‘Honour for ideals and principles that I strove to serve,’ says Advani after Bharat Ratna

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday spoke with BJP leader LK Advani on the phone, congratulating him after he was announced as the recipient of Bharat Ratna. Kumar shared that he had an opportunity to work with Advani in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, referring to his contribution to nation-building as inspiring. "The CM extended his best wishes to Advani ji for the central government's decision to confer Bharat Ratna award on him. He spoke to Advani ji over the phone and extended his heartiest congratulations to him," a statement released by the chief minister's office said. (PTI inputs)

Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and political leaders congratulated veteran BJP leader L K Advani on Saturday for being selected by the Centre for Bharat Ratna award. Extending his greetings to the former deputy prime minister, the Governor said the highest civilian award is in recognition of Advani's dedicated service to the nation.

"Governor of Andhra Pradesh S Abdul Nazeer extended warm greetings and heartiest felicitations to L K Advani, former deputy prime minister of India, on being selected for conferring the prestigious 'Bharat Ratna'," said a post on the official 'X' account of the Andhra Pradesh Governor. Similarly, former chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Advani for being selected for the top award. "Advani has distinguished himself through exemplary hard work and devotion towards the nation. A scholar and statesman, he made exceptional contributions to the country," said Naidu in a post on X. (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday congratulated LK Advani on the Bharat Ratna, saying that the honour was a tribute to his "commitment and unwavering loyalty towards the integrity of the nation". He said that this was a recognition of the unique efforts of those who set high standards of propriety and morality in political life. (ANI inputs)

Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi met LK Advani at his Delhi residence and congratulated him for the Bharat Ratna. "People across the country are extremely happy with this decision. I am fortunate to get the opportunity to work with Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Nanaji Deshmukh and Lal Krishna Advani...." he said. (ANI inputs)

The 96-year-old BJP stalwart and ex-deputy prime minister L K Advani has been awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday.

In a statement on X, PM Modi said, “I am very happy to share that Shri L K 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.” The PM also, “His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights.”

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday expressed his happiness over LK Advani being conferred the Bharat Ratna, saying that the BJP stalwart had dedicated his life to serving other people. ""The life of Advani ji was full of struggle. He made all-out efforts to serve Bharat Mata," news agency PTI quoted Scindia as saying. 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said that the Bharat Ratna was being conferred to veteran BJP leader LK Advani so that the  party's "votes do not get scattered". "This Bharat Ratna is being given to consolidate their own votes, it is not not being given in respect. There is respect (for the award), because it is Bharat Ratna, but for consolidation of own votes," Yadav added.

Yadav is in Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh to attend a programme paying tribute to senior SP leader Shiv Pratap Yadav who had passed away on January 26. Speaking to the media earlier, the SP chief had said that his party had always had "and will have great respect" for Advani. (PTI inputs)

Expressing his happiness on the decision to confer the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that both Atal Bihar Vajpayee and LK Advani had played an important role in the expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)." He dedicated his entire life to the country and society...," Gadkari said.

Interacting with the media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement, LK Advani's daughter Pratibha Advani said that the BJP leader's entire family was very happy that he had been given the highest civilian award in the country. "He is very happy...He said that he dedicated his entire life to the service of the country. He thanks the PM as well as the people of the country that he is being given this award at this stage in his life," Pratibha said. (ANI inputs)

Reacting to the Bharat Ratna being conferred to him, LK Advani expressed his gratitude to the millions of BJP workers, RSS volunteers and others with whom he had worked in his public life. He also remembered two persons with whom he had the honour of working closely – Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who have been awarded the Bharat Ratna earlier. 'I also express my deepest feelings for all members of my family, especially my dear departed wife Kamla. They have been the greatest source of strength and sustenance in my life,' he said. (PTI inputs)

While hailing the decision to confer the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the veteran BJP leader has been " a symbol of purity, dedication and determination in politics". "As a national leader, he has strengthened the country and democracy through his scholarship, parliamentary and administrative abilities. It is a matter of joy for every Indian to receive the honor of Bharat Ratna," Singh said in a post on X. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took to social media platform X earlier to announce the news, said that the conferring of the Bharat Ratna to BJP stalwart LK Advani, was an honour to the ideology of nation first. ""Advani ji's works and services have been inspiring. This honour to Advani ji is a testament to the fact that the nation never forgets those who dedicate their lives in its service," PM Modi said in Odisha's Sambalpur. (PTI inputs)

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, speaking on the Bharat Ratna honour to BJP stalward LK Advani, said that his contributions had left and indelible mark on the trajectory of the country's development. "His unwavering dedication to public service, spanning from grassroots engagements to serving as our Deputy Prime Minister and holding notable positions in the Union Cabinet including I&B Ministry, exemplifies his strong belief in the freedom of expression, the role of media in nation building and lifelong commitment to welfare of the nation," Thakur said in a post on social media platform X. While pointing out that Advani had set the standards for integrity and transparency in governance, Thakur said that the Bharat Ratna "serves as a poignant acknowledgment of a national hero's life devoted to the service of the nation".

Reacting to the Bharat Ratna honour being conferred to veteran BJP leader LK Advani, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that his party has always had respect for him. "He made a place for himself in politics. We always had and will have a great respect for him," Yadav said. (PTI inputs)

Speaking on the Bharat Ratna honour to BJP stalwart LK Advani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was a sign that the country never forgets those who have spent their lives for its service. "The way Advaniji worked dedicatedly for the country for decades as the deputy PM, home minister and I&B minister of India is unparalleled," Modi said in Sambalpur, Odisha.  "It’s an honour for me that I got his (Advani’s) constant affection and guidance," he added. 

In his first major interview since the BJP’s 2009 election defeat, LK Advani, no longer the party leader but very much the influential party elder, ponders the consequences of his Rath Yatras. This is the 20th anniversary of his Somnath-Ayodhya Yatra. He argues that religiosity in politics is different from and superior to religion in politics. The BJP, he says, missed an opportunity when it responded negatively to his Jinnah statements. In a wide-ranging conversation with Vandita Mishra and Saubhik Chakrabarti, Advani talks about not just politics, but politicians, from Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Sonia Gandhi, and Rajiv to Rahul Gandhi. That politics is less courteous now is thanks to, he suggests, Sonia’s style and maybe the campaign against her after the 2004 verdict. He is yet to find a journalist, he says, who has interviewed Rahul Gandhi. 

Read the full interview, originally published by The Indian Express on September 15, 2010. 

Veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime Minister LK Advani has been awarded India’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday.

The development comes days after the Modi government announced the Bharat Ratna for former Bihar CM and OBC reservation pioneer Karpoori Thakur. The announcement of the Bharat Ratna for Advani is significant given the complicated relationship that PM Modi has shared with the 96-year-old BJP leader.

It is widely believed that it was Advani who promoted Modi as a young RSS worker and elevated him in the BJP ranks, helping him eventually to become Gujarat CM in early 2000s. It is also said that it was Advani who saved Modi’s CM chair after the 2002 Gujarat riots when the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had appeared to be disappointed over it. Read more

Welcoming the news of his father receiving a Bharat Ratna, LK Advani's son Jayant said it was "wonderful" to see his father's efforts being recognised. "My family and I are extremely delighted on this new development. I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi for conferring this award on my father...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," he said in a video shared by news agency ANI. 

Soon after PM Modi's announcement, several BJP leaders -- from chief ministers of various states, to Union Ministers -- took to social media to welcome the decision.

Crediting Advani with strengthening democracy in India, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote: “The significant contribution that Advani ji has made to the country’s development and nation building in various roles during his long public life is unforgettable and inspiring.” Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said this was a move to “honour the decades of his service to the nation, commitment for the integrity of the country and setting high standards of morality in political life.”

Meanwhile, calling Advani a source of inspiration, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari echoed the general sentiment. "Awarding Bharat Ratna to our source of inspiration Lal Krishna Advani is a proud moment for us and the entire country. He dedicated his entire life to the country and society...Atal Bihari Vajpayee and he played an important role in the expansion of the BJP," he told news agency ANI.

Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog. 

BJP Stalwart LK Advani will be conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award. PM Modi made the announcement just this morning in a social media post, where he spoke extensively about Advani's contributions to the BJP and to India. Take a look: