 "Prez Murmu, PM Modi pay tribute to Vajpayee, BJP holds nationwide events")
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who joined a prayer ceremony at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Wednesday to pay tributes to him on his birth centenary.
Union ministers, including Amit Shah and J P Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge besides BJP allies such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union ministers Lalan Singh of the JD(U) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S) also paid homage to the BJP stalwart.
Kharge, Nadda, who is also the BJP president, besides many parliamentarians, including ministers, visited the Central Hall of the old parliament building, now called Samvidhan Sadan, to offer floral tributes to Vajpayee's portrait.
Ruling alliance members were also present in the prayer ceremony at Sadaiv Atal where Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla besides the members of Vajpayee's adopted family joined as well.
Modi said in a post on X that the impact of how Vajpayee preserved constitutional values and gave a new direction and momentum to the country will remain forever.
The BJP marked the day as its leaders commemorated his legacy in nationwide events.
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Its chief ministers, Union ministers and MPs besides organisational leaders were part of these programmes held across the country.
Speaking in an event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed that a sense of security is essential for good governance and his government has been following a policy of "zero tolerance for crime, criminals, corruption and corrupt people".
Vajpayee strengthened the foundation of good governance during his tenure, he said.
Speaking in Nagpur, his Lok Sabha constituency, Union minister Nitin Gadkari lauded his contribution to the country's development and reforms during his prime ministerial tenure.