Atal Bihari Vajpayee turns 93, Modi hails his phenomenal, visionary leadership'
New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 93 on Monday.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished him on his birthday.
The President wrote on Twitter: "Birthday wishes to our much-loved and respected former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee."
"His phenomenal as well as visionary leadership made India more developed and further raised our prestige at the world stage. I pray for his good health," Modi tweeted.
Wishing him on his birthday, Naidu posted a poem by Vajpayee which urged people to remain united and not to give up hope in tough times.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wished the former Prime Minister as well.
She tweeted: "Birthday greetings to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a very inspiring and a much-admired leader. My prayers for his better & improved health".
Vajpayee was elected to Lok Sabha from Lucknow in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. He is the first and the only non-Congress leader who completed his full term as prime minister.
Born in 1924, he entered politics during the Quit India movement in 1942. He was also the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in the UN Assembly in Hindi.
In a special gesture, the Narendra Modi-led government in 2014 announced that Vajpayee's birthday would be celebrated as Good Governance Day annually.
