Shekhawat pays tribute to Advani, echoes Modi's article
Synopsis
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat honoured Bharat Ratna L.K. Advani on X, amplifying PM Modi's article that revisits Advani's journey from Partition and Jan Sangh to the Emergency and the landmark 1990 Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra.
Key Takeaways
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat posted a tribute to Bharat Ratna L.K.
Advani on 8 November 2026 , calling his life an inspiring example of national dedication and ideological clarity.
Shekhawat highlighted PM Narendra Modi's article as the occasion, which reportedly covers Advani's role across five decades of Indian political history.
Advani helped build the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (founded 1951 ) and later co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party into a national electoral force.
During the Emergency of 1975 , Advani was among the opposition leaders detained for defending democratic institutions — an episode central to the BJP's founding identity.
The Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra of 1990 remains Advani's most defining act, mobilising millions and placing the Ayodhya question at the heart of Indian politics.
From the pain of Partition to the thunder of a Rath Yatra that rewrote Indian politics — the life of Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani stretches across every defining chapter of independent India's right-wing nationalist movement. On Sunday, 8 November 2026, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took to X to honour Advani, amplifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recently published article that traces the veteran leader's extraordinary arc.
Shekhawat's post, written in Hindi, describes Advani's life as an 'prerak misal' — an inspiring example — of 'dedication to the nation, ideological clarity, and commitment to organisation.' He calls Advani's intellectual sharpness, simplicity, and 'nation-first' philosophy an 'invaluable legacy of Indian politics.'
What Modi's article recalls about Advani
Shekhawat specifically highlights PM Modi's written tribute as the occasion for his post. According to Shekhawat, Modi's article revisits the full sweep of Advani's public life: the trauma of Partition, his early work strengthening the Bharatiya Jana Sangh — the nationalist party founded in 1951 that served as the BJP's ideological ancestor — and his central role in building the Bharatiya Janata Party into a national force.
Modi's piece, as summarised by Shekhawat, also recalls Advani's resistance during the Emergency of 1975, when opposition leaders were detained for standing against the suspension of democratic institutions. That chapter remains one of the BJP's most potent founding myths — the moment a generation of leaders was forged under political persecution.
The Rath Yatra that changed India
Perhaps no episode defines Advani's legacy more sharply than the Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra of 1990. Beginning at the ancient Somnath Temple in Gujarat and cutting across thousands of kilometres toward Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the yatra mobilised millions around the Ram Temple movement and permanently altered the electoral geography of India. It made Advani the most consequential opposition leader of his era and placed the Ayodhya question at the centre of national politics — a question whose answer arrived decades later with the temple's consecration.
Shekhawat's tribute thus stitches together three generations of the same ideological continuum: Advani the builder, Modi the current steward, and a party cadre reminded of where it came from.
In a political moment that often moves fast and forgets fast, this is the BJP pausing — deliberately — to look back at the man who made the march possible.
Point of View
The minister reinforces a carefully maintained chain of ideological legitimacy stretching from the Jan Sangh through the Emergency to the Rath Yatra and, ultimately, the Ram Temple consecration. This kind of commemorative signalling also serves an internal party function: reminding the cadre that today's dominance was built on decades of struggle, and that the current leadership is the rightful heir to that legacy.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is L.K. Advani given the Bharat Ratna?
L.K. Advani was awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour, in recognition of his decades-long contribution to Indian politics, including co-founding the BJP, defending democracy during the Emergency, and leading the Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra.
What was the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra?
The Rath Yatra of 1990 was a political-religious procession led by L.K. Advani that started at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat and was headed toward Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh , advocating for the construction of a Ram Temple. It became one of the most consequential political events in modern Indian history.
What is the Jan Sangh and its connection to the BJP?
The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was a nationalist political party founded in 1951 that served as the ideological predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party . Leaders like L.K. Advani were instrumental in transitioning the movement into the BJP, which became a major national force.
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say about Advani?
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described Advani's life as an inspiring example of national dedication, ideological clarity, and organisational commitment, calling his values an 'invaluable legacy of Indian politics.' He posted his tribute while amplifying PM Modi's article on Advani.
What did Narendra Modi write about L.K. Advani?
According to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's post, PM Narendra Modi's article on Advani recalls his journey from the pain of Partition, his work strengthening the Jan Sangh and building the BJP, his stand during the Emergency, and his leadership of the Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra .
