VP Venkaiah Naidu pays tributes to Vajpayee on his birth anniversary

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday paid tributes to former prime minister and BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary, describing him as the "man of the masses".

Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades. "One of the tallest Indian leaders, Atalji was an eminent parliamentarian, able administrator, prolific writer, mesmerising orator and above all, a great human being," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Naidu.

Vajpayee, the vice president said, brought systemic changes in governance to improve the lives of the people. He will always be remembered for strengthening democracy and ushering in a connectivity revolution in the country, Naidu added. Vajpayee's birth anniversary is also observed as 'Good Governance Day' since 2014. To mark the occasion, people should resolve to empower every Indian by ensuring good governance at all levels, Naidu said.

The vice president also paid tributes to freedom fighter and reformer Madan Mohan Malviya on his birth anniversary. Malviya was born on this day in 1861 in Allahabad. "He was a passionate educationist, erudite scholar and a social reformer. He will always be remembered for his remarkable contribution to the field of education," Naidu said.