Atalji rose above politics whenever country was in crisis: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rose above the party lines whenever the country faced a "crisis".

Paying rich tributes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary, Yogi said, "Atalji rose above party lines and was respected by all. His journey of six decades in public life has been without any stain. Politics without principles can have no place in social life. He never compromised with values and ideals."

Calling Vajpayee a "universal leader" Yogi said that he gave priority to human values and came to the fore at the time of crisis in the country ending the division between the opposition and the ruling party.

"He was accepted as a universal leader in the country and the world. When there was a crisis in front of India on the global stage, even the then governments used to send him to lead the country. At the time of crisis in the country, he used to stand with the government, ending the division between the opposition and the ruling party. He always said that there can be political rivalry, but the interest of the country is more important than the interest of the party," Yogi said.

"In 1971, Atal ji as the leader of the opposition party had supported the policies of the Congress in the interest of the country, however, he also did not hesitate to merge the Bharatiya Jana Sangh with the Janata Party in 1977 for the welfare of the people. This is the reason why people of every party remember Atal ji with reverence and respect," he further said.

Yogi also said that Vajpayee was a "symbol" of India's stability, accountability and transparency in the era of instability.

"As a leader, Atal Ji was a symbol of how India's politics became stable, accountable and transparent by recovering from the era of instability. Be it standards or an action plan to develop India's infrastructure, he had brought a massive change in the lives of over crores of people during his tenure," Yogi added.

The CM said that keeping in mind the values and ideals in politics, Atal ji had done the task of converting the politics of instability into stability by giving priority to mutual coordination and communication.

"Today the same stability is making India emerge as a big power in the world under the leadership of PM Modi. In the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, India's economy has grown from that of Britain, which ruled us for 200 years," he remarked.

Stating that the double-engine government has adopted a sensitive approach towards the public deriving inspiration from Atal Ji, Yogi said, "for the first time during Covid-19, 135 crore people got the facility of free tests, treatment and two vaccines each within 9 months of illness. Similarly, for the first time during the pandemic, more than 80 crore people received free ration."

Remembering their services to the country, the CM also paid tributes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and great educationist and social worker Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya on his birth anniversary.

The event was also marked by the singing of his poems and the screening of a short film based on his life and philosophy at Lok Bhavan. A short film was also shown on the Yogi government's ambitious Atal Residential School Scheme.

( With inputs from ANI )