Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee worked for the country and society with values and principles without worrying about the ruling party or the opposition.

Addressing an ‘Atal Geet Ganga’ event on the eve of Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary, Adityanath said, “Atal Ji is known as a model of good governance in the country. He is also considered the symbol of all-inclusive politics. His political life spanning six decades is considered a symbol of purity, transparency and honesty.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also addressed the programme.

“Atal Ji always used to say that politics without principles is like a noose of death. He worked for the country and society with values and principles without worrying about the ruling party or the opposition for six decades. His standards and ideals are guiding lights in Indian politics even today,” Adityanath said.

Recalling the later prime minister’s contributions, Adityanath said Vajpayee worked for rural development, urban development, the concept of Antyodaya, employment generation for the youth, protecting the dignity and pride of India, and setting models for the security of the country, all of which later became benchmarks for others.

“Every Indian has a sense of respect and reverence for Atal Ji, be it as a poet, journalist, nationalist thinker, true son of Mother India, or a sensitive human being.

Addressing the gathering, Rajnath Singh said everyone is familiar with the personality of Vajpayee and his fame in the international stage.

“Atal Ji made India proud in the international arena,” Singh said, as he recalled working with Vajpayee in the Union Cabinet.

“Atal Ji often used to talk about the development of Lucknow. He represented the Lucknow parliamentary constituency for a long time. He also became the prime minister as an MP from this constituency,” Singh said.

The event was also attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, former Deputy Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, and ex-Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, among others.