Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): As the country celebrates the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his absentia, people of Gwalior are missing their favourite leader. The former prime minister was born on December 25, 1924, in a middle-class Brahmin family of Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and Smt. Krishna Devi at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Apart from being a great leader and visionary, the one quality that everyone will remember about him was his public speaking abilities. People describe him as the leader as a rare ‘Ajatshatru’, a man without enemies, in Indian politics and one such friendship he earned when he was jailed during the Emergency period in 1975-77.
Former MP from Gwalior Vivek Krishna Shejwalkar recalled the strong bond of friendship of his father, Narayan Krishna Shejwalkar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee which was formed during an emergency when both leaders were detained and kept in the same jail. "Atal Ji wrote a letter to congratulate me for being blessed with a baby boy," said Shejwalkar, who felt nostalgic over the memory.
"I met him in Delhi on 13 Oct 2001 and got his autograph on the letter which I received 25 years back," said Shejwalkar, whose family shares a special bond with Vajpayee. Vivek Krishna Shejwalkar said that he will keep the letter with him forever.
