Bharat Ratna presented to Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Former Prime Minister of India and one of the most-respected politicians across all political parties in India, Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was conferred today the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.

Vajpayee receives Bharat Ratna; Modi calls it a ‘historic day’, Jaitley says proud moment for India

Veteran Parliamentarian and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was on Friday conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.

In a departure from protocol, President Pranab Mukherjee drove to Vajpayee’s residence at Krishna Memon marg in Lutyens’ Delhi and presented the prestigious award to the ailing BJP leader.

The event, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vice president Hamid Ansari and home minister Rajnath Singh along with some close family members, was kept away from the media glare.  Source: Vajpayee receives Bharat Ratna; Modi calls it a ‘historic day’, Jaitley says proud moment for India

Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee – The Hindu

Veteran Parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, founder member of the Bharatiya Janata Party who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, was conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee. A look at the life of the veteran politican.  Source: Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee – The Hindu

“My poetry is a declaration of war, not an exordium to defeat. It is not the defeated soldier’s drumbeat of despair, but the fighting warrior’s will to win. It is not the despirited voice of dejection but the stirring shout of victory.”^[39]

A parliamentarian for over four decades, Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament) nine times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha (upper house). He also served as the Member of Parliament for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, until 2009, when he retired from active politics due to health concerns. Vajpayee was one amongst the founder members of erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which he had also headed. He was also the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Morarji Desai. When Janata government collapsed, Vajpayee restarted the Jana Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980.  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atal_Bihari_Vajpayee