Narendra Modi unveils statue of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Lok Bhawan, Lucknow on his 95th birth anniversary.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also present at the Lok Bhawan for the event.

PM Modi also paid tributes to the late prime minister at the Lok Bhawan.

He is also scheduled to take part in the foundation laying ceremony of Atal Bihari Medical University, in Lucknow later today.

Earlier in the day, Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and other BJP leaders paid floral tributes to Vajpayee at the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial in the national capital.

The Centre has also renamed the tunnel under Rohtang Pass after the late Prime Minister and has also flagged off the 'Atal Bhujal Yojana', a scheme aimed at improving groundwater management through community participation in New Delhi.

Born on December 25, 1924, in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, Vajpayee was the first-ever person from the BJP to become the Prime Minister. He served as Prime Minister thrice -- briefly in 1996, from 1998 to 1999 and then for a full five-year term between 1999 and 2004.

Apart from politics, Vajpayee was a prominent writer and has penned a number of poems. After resigning as the prime minister in 2004, the BJP stalwart retired from active politics owing to his feeble health.

The veteran BJP leader passed away on August 16, 2018, at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi after a prolonged illness.

December 25 is celebrated as 'Good Governance Day' in honour of Vajpayee.