BJP Celebrates Lal Krishna Advani's 100th Birthday with Puja and Havan

: The BJP on Sunday celebrated the 100th birthday of party veteran and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani with a puja and havan at its headquarters here, while several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauded his contributions to Indian politics. The event, coinciding with Diwali, was organised to commemorate Advani’s life, dedication to the nation, organisational contributions and long public career, the BJP said. Several party leaders, including Advani’s daughter Pratibha Advani and BJP president Nitin Nabin , attended the event. The puja and havan were followed by the screening of a 20-minute video highlighting key speeches and episodes from Advani’s life. Presentations featuring addresses by senior leaders reflecting on his contributions and significant moments in his political journey were also held. In an authored article, Modi said two qualities that set the BJP patriarch apart were his ideological clarity and intellectual sharpness, besides his ability to expose what he described as the pseudo-secularism propounded by a large section of the Indian polity. Modi also said Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee set a remarkable example of cooperation and together changed the course of Indian politics. In a post on X, Nabin described Advani as a guide for all and credited him with making an unforgettable contribution to the expansion of the organisation, from the Jana Sangh to the BJP, taking nationalist ideology to every citizen and turning the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement into a mass movement. “Your integrity in public life and unwavering commitment to the organisation will always be a source of inspiration for all BJP workers,” Nabin said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah described Advani as “a symbol of service to the nation, an architect of the BJP and a principled statesman”. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Advani had set new standards of integrity, dedication and leadership throughout his public life. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal described him as “an extraordinary example of loyalty to the nation, steadfastness in his convictions, and dedication to the organisation”.