Malaviya, Vajpayee were true statesmen: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday recalled the contributions of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya to nation-building and described them as true statesmen.

Singh was speaking at an event at the Delhi Assembly after unveiling the portraits of the two leaders.

The Union minister, accompanied by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, also released a "Bharat Mata" coffee table book.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said the unveiling of the portraits of Vajpayee and Malaviya was a silent reminder of their words and deeds.

He called upon people to consider education as a source of furthering national interest, as Malaviya did, and to treat politics as public service like Vajpayee did.

The defence minister said Malaviya and Vajpayee were true statesmen.

Vajpayee worked to connect education in independent India with national consciousness. He believed that no one can become great with a petty mindset and ensured that political differences never turned into discord, Singh said.

"Vajpayee taught us to remain humble while in power and to serve national interests while in opposition. Even while criticising anyone, he always maintained dignity and avoided hurting them," he said.

Vajpayee was a "true successor" of Malaviya's thoughts and deeds, he added.

The event was attended by Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, Legislative Affairs Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and other dignitaries. PTI VIT DIV DIV