Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the prestigious Bharat Ratna for BJP veteran L.K. Advani in recognition of his significant contributions to Indian politics. Advani, who served as the president of the BJP for the longest period, played a crucial role in building the party in the 90s and guiding it to power at the center. Under Advani’s leadership, the BJP witnessed a remarkable rise from 2 Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to 85 seats in 1989 and then 120 in 1991. He served as the deputy prime minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government and held several important ministries. Advani was one of the key architects of the Ram Mandir movement, and the announcement of the Bharat Ratna comes within a fortnight of the January 22 consecration ceremony of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Advani’s Rath Yatra for the Ayodhya temple construction, starting on September 25, 1990, was a crucial turning point. Covering approximately 300 kilometers a day and addressing multiple rallies daily, Advani’s yatra became a massive mobilization by the BJP, propelling them to the national political forefront. The yatra, arrested on October 24, 1990, in Bihar by then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, amplified the movement. Advani, who shared an article on the Ram Janmbhoomi movement ahead of the consecration ceremony, considered the Ram Rath Yatra a pivotal duty and believed in the inevitability of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The movement symbolized reclaiming secularism from pseudo-secularism, sparking significant debate in Indian politics.