New Delhi, Dec 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid rich tributes to the former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary.

Vajpayee's visionary leadership saw the country's development reach unprecedented heights, he said in a tweet. Atal Bihari Vajpayee 96th Birth Anniversary: PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal Pay Tribute to Former PM.

"His efforts for making a strong and prosperous India will be remembered forever," Modi said.

Born in 1924, Vajpayee was a founder member of the Jana Sangh and then the BJP, a party which rose from the margins to rule India for the first time in 1990s with him being its main face.

His tenure is credited with ushering in a fresh wave of liberalisation, boosting growth and infrastructure.

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