Amit Shah inaugurates bronze statue of Vajpayee in Panchkula

Panchkula, Dec 24 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday unveiled a bronze statue of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of his 101st birth anniversary here.

Shah inaugurated the 41-feet-tall statue at the Atal Park in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and several Haryana ministers, among others.

He also visited an exhibition based on the life and thoughts of Vajpayee.

Shah, who was in Panchkula to take part in multiple events on Wednesday, also virtually inaugurated 250 ‘Atal Libraries’. A documentary on Vajpayee's life was screened on the occasion.

Addressing the passing out parade of Batch 93 of the Recruit Basic Course (RBC) in which 5,061 newly-trained constables joined the state police force, Shah said Vajpayee was a born patriot, an able administrator, and a poet at heart, but when it came to the security and progress of the country, he was more resolute and unwavering than anyone else.

During his term as the prime minister in 1998, the country became a nuclear power as, disregarding global opposition, Vajpayee worked to strengthen India's defence capabilities.

Vajpayee's statue will inspire the youth of Haryana on what an ideal life is like, what a dedicated leader, an able administrator and a person who lives for his country is like, Shah said. PTI SUN ARI