Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a visionary leader who transformed India into a nuclear power and demonstrated the capabilities of Indians to the world, said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Chief Minister paid tributes to Vajpayee on his 101st birth anniversary on Thursday.
He said during the Kargil war, Vajpayee made it clear that India would retaliate appropriately if anyone dared to challenge it, and the same was demonstrated recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through Operation Sindoor. CM Naidu, along with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, unveiled the statue of Vajpayee at Venkatapalem in the Amaravati capital region.
They viewed the photo exhibition showcasing Vajpayee's life, which was set up at the venue. They also visited the stalls set up on the occasion. Later, Chief Minister Naidu participated in the Good Governance Day public meeting held nearby.
Union Ministers Srinivas Varma and Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, State BJP President PVN Madhav, State Ministers Satyakumar Yadav, P. Narayana, Kandula Durgesh, and others attended the event. A large number of workers of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jana Sena and the general public attended the statue unveiling ceremony.
Earlier, CM Naidu took to 'X' to pay tributes to the former Prime Minister. "Much like his name, Shri Vajpayee Ji was Atal in his resolve to serve the nation. A statesman of rare grace and a poet at heart, he was a visionary leader known for his integrity, humility, and his ability to build consensus across party lines," he posted.
The TDP chief recalled his association with the late leader. "Vajpayee ji strengthened India's security, gave new direction to governance, and inspired generations with his words and actions. I had the good fortune of working with him and learning from his wisdom.
He will always be remembered with deep respect and gratitude for his transformative contributions to our nation's growth," said CM Naidu. During his speech at the Good Governance Day public meeting, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that Amaravati will be developed as a world-class city.
"The sacrifice of the farmers here is the inspiration for constructing the Vajpayee Smriti Vanam (memorial garden) in Amaravati. We are building this memorial to pay a grand tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a way that history will remember," he said.
The Chief Minister noted that the BJP has launched the Atal-Modi Good Governance Yatra. The alliance is working together to install Vajpayee's statues in 26 district centres. He said the coalition government is celebrating Vajpayee’s birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.
CM Naidu recalled the contributions of former Chief Minister and TDP founder N. T. Rama Rao (NTR). He said NTR and Vajpayee rewrote history. "NTR was the person who united non-Congress parties through the National Front. There was a long-standing relationship between Vajpayee and NTR.
The journey from Jan Sangh to the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party is also extremely significant," he said. He recalled that Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid a strong foundation for the country's infrastructure,” he said. The Golden Quadrilateral highway, proposed by Vajpayee, was first launched between Tada and Chennai.
The former PM also initiated deregulation in the telecom sector, the backbone of the knowledge economy, and laid the foundation for progress. "Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is forging ahead with the 4G revolution. We sowed the seeds of national development through the PPP model, implemented it, and are now taking it forward," he said.
CM Naidu also recalled that the then PM Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for Cyberabad (Hi-Tech City). "Now, we are building a Quantum Valley in Amaravati. Then it was the speed of IT, now it's the momentum of quantum technology," he said.