On BJP’s 44th Foundation Day, Old Picture Of LK Advani, PM Modi, Amit Shah Goes Viral

In this viral picture, which is believed to be taken in the year 1989, BJP veteran LK Advani and Narendra Modi can be seen sitting close to each other and Amit Shah standing behind them.

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi and Amit Shah-powered BJP, which is in power in the Centre and several states, is celebrating its 44th Foundation Day on Thursday with great fervour and enthusiasm. Since its inception on April 6, 1980, the saffron party, previously known as Bhartiya Jana Sangh (BJS), has come a long way and emerged as the biggest political party in the world, having the maximum number of MPs, MLAs and councillors in the country. 

The BJP was officially founded by nationalist leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on April 6, 1980 years after he parted ways with Jawaharlal Nehru's Congress and formed the Bhartiya Jana Sangh (BJS) in 1951. Back then, the Bhartiya Jana Sangh was founded with the sole aim of preserving the Hindu identity and culture in collaboration with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

However, on this occasion, an old picture of veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani – considered to be one of the chief architects of the saffron party’s immense rise, Narendra Modi, now serving as Prime Minister of India, and Amit Shah – his close confidant and currently Union Home Minister, has gone viral on social media.

This picture, which has been shared by an official Twitter page named 'India History Pics', gives a glimpse of the BJP leaders during the 1980s. In this picture, which is believed to be taken in the year 1989, BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani and Narendra Modi can be seen sitting close to each other. While Advani can be seen holding a glass of water, PM Narendra Modi is busy looking at some papers lying on the table. 

Interestingly, Amit Shah – believed to be one the closest political associates of PM Modi, is seen standing just behind them along with other party leaders.

1980s :: Gujarat BJP Worker Amit Shah Watching as L. K. Advani Meets Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/QIbspjntNM — indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) April 6, 2021

From just two 2 Lok Sabha seats in 1984, the saffron party won 85 seats in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. This year, there was a significant increase in BJP’s vote share. As compared to 1984, when the BJP got a total of 1.82 crore votes, its vote share rose to 3.41 crore in 1989.

Two years before this picture was taken, both Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were part of AVBP – the party’s youth wing – but they later switched to Bharatiya Janata Party.

Amit Shah was then appointed as the BJP secretary in Ahmedabad. Narendra Modi was the general secretary of the Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party at that time. Narendra Modi’s father also passed in 1989. 

Addressing BJP workers on the occasion of the party's 44th foundation day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "BJP started its journey from just two Lok Sabha seats and reached 303 in 2019. In many of the states, we get more than 50 per cent votes." PM Modi said the BJP was committed to taking tough steps to rid India of corruption, nepotism and law and order challenges.

PM Modi also drew parallels between Lord Hanuman and the BJP and asserted that the party believed in the ideals of selfless service. He said India was realising its potential just like Lord Hanuman after eliminating self-doubt.  

"If we see the whole life of Lord Hanuman, he had a 'can-do' attitude that helped him achieve big successes," PM Modi said. Hanuman Jayanti, which celebrates the birth of Lord Hanuman, is being observed on Thursday. PM Modi cited the free ration scheme, health insurance and other welfare measures to assert that social justice was an article of faith for the BJP.