Vajpayee turns 85; Prez, VP, PM greet him

Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 85, but there were no birthday celebrations in view of last month's Mumbai terror attacks.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 85, but there were no birthday celebrations in view of last month’s Mumbai terror attacks.

President Pratibha Patil was among the first to send greetings to the BJP veteran, Rastrapathi Bhawan sources said. She sent flowers and greetings to Vajpayee, they said.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari sent flowers to the former PM’s residence, BJP sources said.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh drove to the octogenarian leader’s Krishna Menon Marg residence in New Delhi to wish him on his 85th birthday. Singh was with Vajpayee for about 15 minutes.

Leader of Opposition and Vajpayee’s longtime colleague L K Advani also went to the former Prime Minister’s residence to express his birthday wishes, BJP sources said.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh, senior party leader Jaswant Singh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri, former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautaula and former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra also wished Vajpayee.

Several other leaders from BJP, its NDA allies and those from other parties also sent bouquets and birthday wishes to Vajpayee, who was born on this day in 1924.

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Vajpayee had expressed his desire a couple of days ago not to celebrate his birthday in view of the terror strikes in Mumbai.

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