Advani turns 99: Nitin Nabin Performs Havan, Recalls His Role in Ram Mandir Movement

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin on Sunday recalled veteran party leader LK Advani’s role in the Ram Mandir movement as the latter turned 99, describing the construction of the temple in Ayodhya as the culmination of a political journey that began decades ago.

Nabin performed a havan at the BJP's central headquarters in New Delhi to mark Advani's birthday. Addressing the occasion, he spoke about the former Deputy Prime Minister's Ram Rath Yatra and its impact on Indian politics, recalling how the procession was stopped in Bihar in 1990.

“We were very young at the time, but even then, we could feel how the entire nation was gripped by the movement,” Nabin said.

He recalled that the yatra was stopped at Samastipur, but said the kar sevaks carried forward the movement. Nabin credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with taking the movement to its eventual destination, referring to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

“Today, as the country witnesses the magnificent Shri Ram Temple standing in Ayodhya, it is a moment for all of us to honour and remember Shri Advani Ji's historic journey,” he said.

PARTITION, POLITICAL STRUGGLES AND ‘NATION FIRST’

Nabin described Advani as a leader whose political outlook was shaped by the experience of Partition and an enduring commitment to national service.

“He is a leader who endured the agony of Partition yet remained steadfast in his resolve, consistently championing the core ideal of 'Nation First',” he said.

The BJP president also recalled the party's early electoral setbacks, particularly when it was reduced to just two seats in the Lok Sabha in the 1984 general election. He said the determination of Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee helped the party survive a difficult phase and expand its political presence.

“When the BJP was reduced to just two MPs in Parliament, many dismissed its future. Yet, amidst that atmosphere of despair, it was the unyielding resolve of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani that offered a ray of hope,” Nabin said.

He added that the efforts of the two leaders helped transform the BJP into a major political force.

PM MODI RECALLS ADVANI'S JOURNEY

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi published an article recalling Advani's contribution to Indian politics and the development of the BJP. Sharing it on X, Modi said Advani had experienced the trauma of Partition as a young man in 1947, when he had to leave behind his home in Sindh, in present-day Pakistan.

PM said Advani rebuilt his life without bitterness and carried that resilience into his work in the Jana Sangh and later the BJP.

The Prime Minister also highlighted Advani's tenure as BJP president, during which the party made significant electoral gains. He referred to the Congress's decline from more than 400 Lok Sabha seats to below 200 in 1989 and the BJP emerging as the single largest party in the 1996 general election.

“Advani Ji nurtured generations of Karyakartas and gave the Party a clear foundation rooted in the principle of Nation First,” PM Modi wrote.

A LONG POLITICAL CAREER

Born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak in 1942.

He served as BJP national president during three separate periods: 1986-1990, 1993-1998 and 2004-2005. He remains the longest-serving president of the party since its formation in 1980.

Advani served as Union Home Minister from 1999 to 2004 and as Deputy Prime Minister in the National Democratic Alliance government led by Vajpayee from 2002 to 2004.

In recognition of his contribution to public life, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2024. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the award on him in March that year.

With inputs from ANI