It is a historic day for the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as the country's top civilian award Bharat Ratna was conferred upon Atal Bihari Vajpayee here.
Modi, who attended the special ceremony held at the residence of the 80-year-old ailing former Prime Minister, paid rich tributes to Vajpayee, saying he had dedicated his life to the nation and was an inspiration for crores of people like him.
"It is a historic day for crores of Indians today when Atal Bihari Vajpayee is being given Bharat Ratna award," he tweeted.
"Atalji's life is dedicated to the nation. He is an outstanding son of the country... He has lived every moment of his life for the country. He is an inspiration for crores of people like me and will continue to be so for the future generations. I pray to the God that he continues to give inspiration and guide us," Modi said while paying tributes to Vajpayee.
He praised President Pranab Mukherjee's gesture of going to Vajpayee's residence to present the honour country to the ailing leader.
"This gesture reflects grace & dignity... I thank the President for this," Modi said while referring to Mukherjee departing from convention to do the honours.
