Atal Bihari Vajpayee birth anniversary: PM Modi leads political fraternity in paying tribute

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was widely loved and respected for his visionary leadership and endearing personality.

New Delhi: The visionary leadership and endearing personality of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were fondly remembered by the entire country on Tuesday - his 94th birth anniversary. Leading the heartfelt tributes for the iconic leader was PM Narendra Modi who, along with politicians cutting across party lines, paid homage at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.

PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Sha were among the first to reach Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where they offered a floral tribute to Vajpayee. PM Modi also took to Twitter to honour the memory of a figure who played an important role in shaping the future of the party, the country and its people. "Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. We reiterate our commitment towards creating the India he dreamt of," he wrote, alongwith a video showing priceless glimpses from Vajpayee's life.

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Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. We reiterate our commitment towards creating the India he dreamt of. pic.twitter.com/CnD1NtQCWp — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2018

Former PM Manmohan Singh and several other leaders from the opposition also honoured the memory of Vajpayee - many attending the sombre event at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.

A commemorative Rs 100 coin to honour Vajpayee was released a day earlier - on Monday by PM Modi in the presence of several union ministers.

Vajpayee passed away on August 16 at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi following a prolonged illness. The veteran leader, who led the National Democratic Alliance government from 1998-2004, was the first ever person from the BJP to have become the nation's Prime Minister. Vajpayee served as Prime Minister thrice -- briefly in 1996, and then for two terms between 1998 and 2004.

BJP plans on celebrating December 25th of every year as 'Good Governance Day.'