Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 28 (HBTV): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th birth anniversary at his statue located at Avanti Vihar in Raipur.

Speaking to the media, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, 'Today is the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which the whole country celebrates as Good Governance Day. On this occasion, we salute Atal ji, pay tribute to him. He created the state of Chhattisgarh and it is developing on the basis of his dreams.'

Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Deputy Chief Ministers KP Maurya and Brajesh Pathak paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on his 100th birth anniversary.

Additionally, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha also paid floral tribute.

Speaking to ANI, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called Atal Bihari Vajpayee a great thinker of Indian politics and a true son of Mother India who dedicated his entire life to the prestige, service, and development of the country.

'The birth centenary of Prime Minister Atal Ji is being celebrated all over the country. I believe that Atal Ji was a great thinker of Indian politics and a true son of Mother India who dedicated his entire life to the prestige, service, and development of the country. Atal ji not only got the respect of the people of his political party but other political parties as well,' Singh said.

In Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries paid floral tribute to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th birth anniversary at the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial.

Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and was elected three times as the nation's prime minister. He served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 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 August 16, 2018. (ANI)