NPN

New Delhi: Today marks the birth anniversary of the late statesman Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who served as the Prime Minister of India. He was born on December 25, 1924. He was a seasoned politician, admired even by his opponents and critics. He won everyone's hearts with his eloquence. Even the country's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was a great admirer of his speeches. Once, after hearing Atal's speech, Pandit Nehru praised him, saying that this young man would go very far one day. What is the story of Nehru and Atalji? Many politicians were impressed by Atalji's speaking style. The public was certainly influenced by him, and even leaders in the Lok Sabha wanted to develop a communication style like Atalji's. In 1957, when Atalji won the Lok Sabha election from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, Nehru was still impressed by him. Pandit Nehru introduced Atalji to a British politician and said, "Meet him, this young man will one day become the Prime Minister of the country." Atalji's Hindi was exceptional. When he delivered speeches, all the leaders listened to him attentively. He strongly opposed the government's policies and delivered powerful speeches. Despite this, Pandit Nehru was not angry; instead, he said, "He keeps opposing me, but I see a lot of potential in him." Vajpayee himself once recounted that he had told Pandit Nehru that he had a mixed personality; that he had both Churchill and Chamberlain in him. But Nehru wasn't offended. During a meeting at an evening event, he told Vajpayee that he had given a good speech that day. Atalji also praised Pandit Nehru Although Pandit Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee were politically opposed to each other, both being excellent orators, they also praised each other's speeches. When Pandit Nehru passed away, Atalji highly praised Nehru's ideology and policies. Atalji said, "The leader is gone, but his followers remain. This is a time of trial. The sun has set, so we must find our way by the light of the stars."