Lal Krishna Advani (LK Advani), veteran politician and Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart, celebrated his 98th birthday on Saturday, November 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to greet the former deputy prime minister, describing him as a "statesman with a towering vision".
"Greetings to Shri LK Advani Ji on his birthday. A statesman blessed with towering vision and intellect, Advani Ji's life has been dedicated to strengthening India's progress," PM Modi said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi (now in Pakistan), Advani began his education at St Patrick’s High School, where he excelled academically and developed an early interest in history and public life, Mint reports.
He moved to India after the Partition and graduated in Law from the Government Law College, Mumbai. During his student years, he was actively associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), joining as a volunteer in 1942, beginning a relationship that would define his lifelong ideological path.
Advani assisted Atal Bihari Vajpayee and served as Secretary of the Delhi State Jana Sangh. LK Advani made his Rajya Sabha debut in 1970. He was elected President of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1972.
In 1980, Advani co-founded the BJP with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, serving as its chief strategist and driving force through decades of political transformation. He also spearheaded Ayodhya's Ram Temple movement, organising the Rath Yatra in the 1990s to demand the temple's construction at Ram Janmabhoomi.
Throughout his Parliamentary career spanning more than three decades, he served as Home Minister (1998-2004) and later as Deputy Prime Minister (2002-2004) under the National Democratic Alliance government, both with Vajpayee as the Prime Minister.
On March 31, 2024, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, to LK Advani at a ceremony held at his New Delhi residence. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour.