Leader like Vajpayee born once in centuries: Nadda

BJP working president J P Nadda paid rich tributes to party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday, saying a leader like him is born once in centuries and that he lived up to his name 'atal' by staying firm to his ideologies and convictions.

Speaking at an event to commemorate the former prime minister, whose birth anniversary is on Wednesday, Nadda said Vajpayee was a man of great depth who touched the life of everyone with his words.

The BJP leader recalled a few incidents involving him and Vajpayee to shed light on his personality.

Nadda noted that Vajpayee, who died in 2018, was to address a press conference once during a lot of political heat over an issue, and he as the then BJP youth wing president had organised slogan-shouting by its workers in his support.

Vajpayee asked him why he had done so to which he replied that it was done to make "mahaul" (a positive atmosphere).

It can be done so also with love and without creating any fear, Vajpayee told him.

In party meetings the foremost BJP leader of his time would ask his colleagues to do what is the right thing to do and they would invariably lean towards what he had in his mind, Nadda recalled.

However, when Vajpayee found that most of his colleagues had a different view than him, then he would support them as well, the party working president said.

Nadda also recalled his poetry and examples of his wit, as he said that it is difficult to be a poet and orator like him but people can learn from him his firmness to the ideologies and convictions he believed in.