PM Modi pays tributes to Vijaya Raje Scindia, releases commemorative coin

The prime minister hailed her for sacrificing a life of comfort to fight for her ideals and serving people.

New Delhi: Paying rich tributes to Vijaya Raje Scindia, one of the BJP’s founders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released a commemorative Rs 100 coin as part of her birth centenary celebrations.

Speaking at a programme to release the commemorative coin, Modi said Scindia’s dreams like the annulment of Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special rights, and building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya have been fulfilled.

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The prime minister hailed her for sacrificing a life of comfort to fight for her ideals and serving people.

Scindia was married into the royal family of Gwalior and was a vocal proponent of the Hindutva ideals as a member of the Jana Sangh and then of the BJP.

Scindia, fondly called as Rajmata, was among the leaders who played a role in the direction the country took in the last century, the prime minister said, adding she was a decisive leaders and skilful administrator.

Scindia was born on this day in 1919. She passed away in 2001.

She did not live her life for position or power, Modi said, recalling that she once turned down an offer from Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani to be Jana Sangh president.

A strong, secure and prosperous India was her dream, and it will be fulfilled with the realisation of ‘aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Modi said.

Her life is an inspiration for the coming generations, he said, fondly recalling his association with her.

Scindia’s daughters Vasundhara Raje Scindia, a former chief minister of Rajasthan, Yashodhara Raje, a minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, and grandson Jyotiraditya Scindia are all senior BJP leaders.

Vijaya Raje Scindia had started her political career from the Congress and later joined the Swatantrata Party before becoming a member of the Jana Sangh, the BJP’s progenitor.

Other top BJP leaders also remembered her with party president J P Nadda and others paying floral tributes at the party headquarters here.