New Delhi: December 25 is a very special day. Yes, it is Christmas, the birthday of Jesus, the founder of Christianity and one of the greatest leaders ever born on the earth. But there are more leaders who share birthday with him. India’s former prime minister and BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee is celebrating his 89th birthday today.
He had been elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and twice to the Rajya Sabha and he holds the distinction of being the only non-Congress leader ever to have served a full term as Prime Minister of India. Vajpayee, when he was 18-year-old, took part in Quit India movement and was imprisoned in 1942 with many others. A lawyer by training, he is well-versed in Hindi, Sanskrit and English. He was known for his fiery speeches in parliament. He won applauds when he delivered a speech in Hindi in United Nations General Assembly in 1977.
Vajpayee, unlike most of the politicians, lead a very simple life. He is also a widely acclaimed poet. His health started deteriorating in early 2000 and he has undergone 10 surgeries in past. Totally confined to wheel chair, Vajpayee is reportedly suffering from dementia and chronic diabetics.
Bureau Report
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