As the nation celebrates the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Minister Rajnath Singh took a trip down memory lane as he recalled the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) stalwart for his sharp wit and humour.
One of the milestone moments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure was his Lahore bus yatra back in February 1999. During his visit to Pakistan, the Lahore declaration was signed, aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two neighbouring nations.
Addressing an event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recounted an interesting anecdote from Vajpayee’s visit to Pakistan. As Singh recalled, a Pakistani woman, drawn by Vajpayee’s speech, made a marriage proposal to him. Interestingly, the woman said that she wanted Kashmir as a gift.
“During a visit to Pakistan, a woman asked Vajpayee, ‘Would you marry me, and give Kashmir in exchange’,” Rajnath said. That day, Vajpayee made everyone bow down to his sense of humour.
The former Prime Minister told the woman that he was ready to marry her, but wanted the whole of Pakistan as dowry. “Vajpayee’s sense of humour was remarkable,” Rajnath Singh said.
Vajpayee’s response not only reflected his quick-witted attitude but also solidified his unwavering stance on Kashmir.
“Never knew how to bend in life”
Rajnath Singh narrated another instance about Vajpayee, dating back to the period of the emergency. The Union Minister said that Vajpayee was dealing with an immense back pain while he was in custody.
He was rushed to AIIMS hospital, where the doctor asked him if the pain was caused due to bending down. Rajnath, quoting Vajpayee, said, “Doctor sahib, I do not know how to bend in life; perhaps I must have turned somewhere.”
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a Bharat Ratna recipient and a former Prime Minister, breathed his last on August 16, 2018, at the age of 93, after battling a kidney infection and chest congestion.
