Vajpayee Was BJP’s Nehru: How Newspapers Paid Tribute to Former PM
A nationalist, a gifted orator and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jawaharlal Nehru – here’s what the Indian newspapers had to say about Atal Bihari Vajpayee who passed away on Thursday, 16 August. International media, too, paid their tribute to the nonagenarian – calling him “instrumental in strengthening India’s international ties”.
Here are our top picks.
Liberal and Nationalist: Who Shaped Vajpayee’s Persona?
Vajpayee’s sin was that he had crafted the early BJP as a secular, socialist legatee of the Janata party; he had also opposed the Ayodhya movement. It was Advani who was the RSS’s choice for PM for the 1996 elections. But in November 1995 in Bombay, Advani announced Vajpayee as the prime ministerial candidate – to the astonishment of those on stage, and dismay of the RSS. From then on, Vajpayee could not be toppled – becoming prime minister in 1996, 1998, and in 1999 – while Advani withdrew to number two.
– Vinay Sitapati, The Indian Express
Atal Bihari Vajpayee: A Gifted Orator Whose Stories Always Had a Sting in the Tail
Vajpayee’s oratory was legendary. He had the ability to craft a compelling story out of nothing and hold his audiences spellbound. What people looked out for was not what he spoke on but whether there was a usual small sting in the tail. I recall a national council meeting in Jaipur just before the 1991 election when the talk was on an impending Ram toofan. “The problem with the toofan,” he rued “is that we have to be careful not to get blown over ourselves.” Then, with the cryptic tone the party had come to associate with him, added: “The BJP is not a dharma sabha. It is a political party.” The remarks said it all.
– Swapan Dasgupta, The Times of India
Why Atal Bihari Vajpayee Was the BJP’s Pandit Nehru
As PM, Vajpayee recalled in a speech in Parliament how he got restored in South Block’s corridor a portrait of Nehru he would notice while walking in, during his years in the Opposition. “I just had to ask as who removed it and the portrait was back at the assigned place,” the BJP veteran remarked. He never shied of wearing as a badge his admiration of Nehru – and the latter’s fondness of him as a young leader who could be PM one day.
– Vinod Sharma, Hindustan Times
Vajpayee: A Colossus, Unaided by Machines
...It would not be an exaggeration to say that when the news of the former Prime Minister's death was finally announced this evening, millions of Indians – including those who do not and never have subscribed to the ideology of the RSS or the BJP – felt a genuine sense of loss and grief. Only true mass leaders with that indefinable quality called charisma, unaided by the modern-day publicity machine of 24/7 television and relentless social media chatter, can evoke such emotions among vast swathes of people who never met them.
- Manini Chatterjee, The Telegraph
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Created a Peace Template for the Subcontinent
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s most enduring legacy as Prime Minister is that he attempted to liberate India from the prison of the past with regard to two of the most intractable historical problems – Kashmir and Pakistan. That he did not succeed is evident. Indeed, when he demitted office in May 2004 after failing to win a renewed mandate in the elections to the 14th Lok Sabha, any lasting solution to the Kashmir issue, or to normalisation of India-Pakistan relations, seemed a long way off, even though some footprints of progress made during his tenure in office were undeniably visible.
– Sudheendra Kulkarni, The Hindu
Mr Vajpayee – the Face of the World’s Most Populous Democracy
A published poet, Mr Vajpayee dabbled in law, journalism and rebellion against British colonialism as a young man. A leader of the Hindu nationalist opposition to the once-invincible Indian National Congress party of Gandhi and Nehru, for most of his 50 years in politics he was virtually unknown outside India.
But for six years in his late 70s, Mr Vajpayee was the face of the world’s most populous democracy, a nation of one billion whose ethnic, religious and regional conflicts had fomented massacres, three wars with Pakistan and internal strife for a half-century after independence from Britain in 1947.
– The New York Times
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Who Made India a Nuclear Power
In 1951, Mr Vajpayee joined the newly formed political party called the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP. Later, he became the party’s leader and began a long parliamentary career. He served as foreign minister in the late 1970s in a coalition government. Under Mr Vajpayee’s leadership, the old Bharatiya Jana Sangh was reborn as the BJP in 1980.
An orator who peppered his speeches with wit and lines from his own poems, Mr Vajpayee was viewed more as a kind of philosopher-king and less as a hard-nosed politician.
– The Washington Post
His Masterful Oratory Attracted Tens of Thousands to His Rallies
The former journalist and poet-turned-politician was one of the few opposition lawmakers inside Parliament when India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, still held office. Nehru was PM from 1947 until his death in 1964.
Vajpayee’s more than five-decade-long career peaked in the 1990s, when his masterful oratory attracted tens of thousands to his rallies across the country.
– The Guardian
courtesy : thequint.com
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Will push for Mekedatu balancing reservoir scheme: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday asserted that the state government would push ahead with key irrigation and drinking water projects, including the long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir scheme that is being opposed by Tamil Nadu, while continuing to pursue approvals and resolve disputes with neighbouring states over river water sharing.
Presenting the budget for the year 2026-27 in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah highlighted several initiatives aimed at strengthening irrigation infrastructure, addressing water shortages and expanding drinking water supply across different river basins in the state.
"The dismissal of the petitions filed by the State of Tamil Nadu in the Supreme Court with regard to flagship Mekedatu scheme is a significant legal victory for our state," he said about the neighbouring state's objection over the project, which envisages utilising Cauvery water.
In light of this judgement, a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) along with a proposal for forest clearance will be submitted shortly to the Government of India, Siddaramaiah said.
The Mekedatu project has been a contentious issue between Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which has repeatedly opposed the project citing concerns over downstream water availability as regards the inter-state river.
The CM also referred to the progress made under the Yettinahole Comprehensive Drinking Water Project (YCDWP).
"The first phase of lift irrigation works of the YCDWP has been commissioned successfully," he said, adding that the remaining 18.73 km canal works in the second phase will be completed shortly.
"To impound excess water, a balancing reservoir of 1.2 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) capacity will be constructed near Vaderahalli in Koratagere taluk," Siddaramaiah said.
He also announced progress in the Upper Bhadra Project after resolution of a long-standing land dispute.
Consequently, the 135-km long Chitradurga branch canal and associated feeder works will be completed by 2027, enabling the filling up of 157 tanks in the region.
The chief minister noted that despite the project's national importance, the Centre has not released funds.
"Although no funds have been released by the Central Government, Rs 11,343 crore has been incurred by the state government for this project," he said.
Siddaramaiah also announced compensation measures related to the raising of the Almatti dam height under the Upper Krishna Project (UKP).
Under the revised compensation package, the government has fixed Rs 30 lakh per acre for dry land and Rs 40 lakh per acre for wet land.
The replacement of 33 dilapidated gates of the Tungabhadra Dam with new gates will be completed before the onset of monsoon.
To address the reduction in storage capacity caused by silt accumulation, the government is exploring alternative measures.
"Alternative measures including the construction of a balancing reservoir near Navali in Koppal district are already under consideration," he said.
Siddaramaiah said the state would intensify efforts to implement an alternative scheme in consultation with neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the concurrence of the Tungabhadra Board.
He criticised the Centre for the "delays" in approvals for the Kalasa-Bandura project under the Mahadayi basin.
He alleged that the requisite forest clearance has not yet been received from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Board for Wildlife.
Announcing new schemes, Siddaramaiah said the Uduthore Halla project would be implemented in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district at a cost of Rs 490 crore that would provide drinking water and irrigate 12,000 acres of suffering command area.
In-principle approval would be granted for the construction of a 0.67 TMC impounding reservoir at Babanagar in Vijayapura under the Tubachi-Babaleshwara scheme.
In a broader push to expand irrigation coverage, he said priority would be given to completing several ongoing projects.
Overall, the government plans to undertake 75 irrigation works worth Rs 8,045 crore across major river basins including the Krishna, Cauvery and Godavari.
The government will also focus on improving water-use efficiency through modern irrigation systems by adopting a Pressured Piped Network system of irrigation in 4,745 hectares of command area under the Hattikuni and Tungabhadra Left Bank Branch Canal, Siddaramaiah said.
In the minor irrigation sector, the chief minister announced several tank-filling and rejuvenation projects, including the third phase of the Hebbala-Nagawara Valley project which will fill 164 tanks at an estimated cost of Rs 237 crore.
Siddaramaiah also said the state government has approved 112 works including lift irrigation projects, check dams and tank rejuvenation schemes at a cost of Rs 1,793 crore for 2025-26.
