LK Advani Bharat Ratna: On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed that veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.

Sharing the information on his official X handle, PM Modi posted, “I am very happy to share that Shri LK 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. 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.”

LK Advani led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1990s and is credited with scripting the BJP’s rise in the 90s.

The Former Deputy Prime Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government was BJP’s longest-serving President. The 96-year-old politician had been a member of both Houses of Parliament between 1970 and 2019.

Back in 2020, Senior BJP leader D H Shankaramurthy had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to confer Bharat Ratna on veteran party leader Lal Krishna Advani. 

"As you are aware, Lal Krishna Advani has been in public life for over seven decades. His service, sacrifice, and contribution to the cause of motherland through the RSS, Bharatiya Janata Sangh, and the BJP is something phenomenal. Impeccably clean and honest in his personal and public life, a leader with utmost credibility and a man with abundant knowledge and experience on national and international affairs, Advani is one such person of whom every one of us feels proud," Shankaramurthy had stated. 

Just days before, Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 24 said that late former Bihar Chief Minister and socialist leader Karpoori Thakur will be awarded the country's highest civilian award.

Soon after the news of LK Advani's being conferred the Bharat Ratna came, congratulatory news started pouring in from various political quarters.

Jayant Advani, veteran BJP leader LK Advani’s son, reacted on the news and said, "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..."

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur extended his wishes to Advani and posted, “A stalwart statesman, his monumental contributions have left an indelible mark on the trajectory of Bharat's development, leaving an enduring legacy in the realms of politics and cultural unity.”

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "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..."

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X, "This is a very joyous moment for us that our guide and BJP's veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna."

On the announcement of Bharat Ratna for veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, BRS MLC K Kavitha says, "...Many congratulations to Lal Krishna Advani for being conferred Bharat Ratna...This is good that the Ram temple was also built and Lal Krishna Advani has been conferred Bharat Ratna. BJP's agenda seems to be being completed.."

On the announcement of Bharat Ratna for veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said, "Greetings to him. BJP and PM Modi thought of LK Advani very late. He has been a tall leader of their party. The position that the BJP is in today - its foundation was laid by LK Advani...The way in which the BJP behaved with him was not good but now that he is being awarded the Bharat Ratna, best wishes to him."