New Delhi: As former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi turned 90 Saturday, a host of well-wishers flocked to a government bungalow on Delhi’s Raisina Road to celebrate the occasion.
Joshi, who was among the prominent faces of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, was also one of the founding fathers of the BJP and led the party as its president between 1991 and 1993. He also served as the minister of science and technology in the Vajpayee government (1998-2004) and, in 2017, was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan — the nation’s second-highest civilian award. A lifelong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member, Joshi was appointed to the BJP’s Margdarshak Mandal in 2014.
Among the eminent guests who graced Joshi’s birthday celebration were former Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh and former diplomat Pavan Varma.