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“Bhishma Pitamah” should rise above party politics: PM

A.B. Vajpayee

NEW DELHI: Praising the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for taking “courageous steps” to foster peace with Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday described Mr. Vajpayee as “Bhishma Pitamah” of Indian politics and urged him to rise above narrow party politics and support the India-U.S. nuclear deal.

“The Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee should listen to his conscience and let national interest prevail upon narrow politics,” Dr. Singh said in the Rajya Sabha during his reply on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to Parliament seeking support for the crucial deal.

Referring to the former National Security Adviser to the NDA government, Brajesh Mishra, Dr. Singh said he was happy that at last the former NSA had listened to his conscience and come out openly in support of the deal.

The Prime Minister had words of praise for Mr. Vajpayee for taking courageous steps to foster peace with Pakistan.

The foundation for peace between the two nations was laid by the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi and the former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, and then the most courageous steps to build peace were taken by Mr. Vajpayee and his Pakistan counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, he said.

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