Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 25 (ANI): National General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vinod Tawde on Sunday said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave a model of sustainable development to the nation and governments are following it today.

He was addressing BJP leaders in Shimla on the occasion of Vajpayee's birth anniversary.

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BJP leaders paid tribute to Vajpayee and celebrated his birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.

Former Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur, BJP State President Suresh Kashyap, State Incharge Avinash Rai Khanna, Mangal Pandey, Satpal Satti Vipin Parmar, Randhir Sharma, Trilok Jamwal, Rakesh Jamwal and other BJP veteran leaders and newly elected legislators paid floral tributes at the statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Ridge Maidan and later before the BJP legislative Party meeting venue in Shimla.

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On this occasion, Tawde said that Vajpayee followed the ideals of peace, survival, compassion, equality, justice and fraternity throughout his life.

"Today our PM is following the sustainable development model and this model was the idea of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was a true nationalist and always kept the national interest above party politics. Whether he was in power or in opposition, he believed in taking everyone along for the national interest," said Tawde while addressing BJP leaders in Shimla.

Vinod Tawde appealed to all legislators and BJP leaders to follow in the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his Birth Anniversary at his memorial Sadaiv Atal.

"Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. His contribution to India is indelible. His leadership and vision motivate millions of people," tweeted Prime Minister Modi.

Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16 1996 to June 1 1996 and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS hospital in Delhi on 16 August 2018.

After coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to honour the former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, declared that December 25 would be celebrated as Good Governance Day every year. (ANI)

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