Modi, Advani visit Vajpayee on 90th birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani were among the leaders who Thursday visited former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence and greeted him on his 90th birthday and on being conferred the Bharat Ratna.

Sources said those who visited Vajpayee included former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, J.P. Nadda and Dharamendra Pradhan were among the other people who visited him.

The National Democratic Alliance government has decided to observe Vajpayee's birthday as Good Governance Day.

The sources said Vajpayee had "some idea" that his birthday was being observed as Good Governance Day.

Vajpayee has been in frail health for the past several years.

The sources said several BJP leaders had called on Vajpayee Wednesday after he was named for the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour.

Vajpayee, along with late freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, was Wednesday named for the Bharat Ratna. Both of them share their birthday Dec 25.

Modi took to Twitter Thursday morning and said there was no bigger tribute to Vajpayee than celebrating his birthday as Good Governance Day.

"There is no bigger tribute to Atal ji than celebrating his birthday as 'Good Governance Day' and pledging to devote ourselves to this cause," Modi tweeted.

"Development and good governance are the only ways ahead. Together, let us make a positive impact in people's lives and create a developed India," said another tweet.

President Pranab Mukherjee also greeted Vajpayee on his birthday.

"Warm greetings and good wishes to A.B. Vajpayee on his birthday. May the almighty bless him with happiness and good health," tweeted the president.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also wished Vajpayee "good health and longevity".

"He is an inspirational force for good governance in India," Jaitley tweeted.

Vajpayee, a veteran leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as its forerunner Bharatiya Jana Sangh, served as prime minister first for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004.