Speaking at a commemorative event, Rajnath Singh, one of the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who closely worked with Vajpayee, revisited several moments that showcased how the former Prime Minister blended humour with political resolve. Among the anecdotes, Singh recalled an episode from Vajpayee’s historic Lahore bus yatra in February 1999, a landmark initiative aimed at easing tensions between India and Pakistan following their nuclear tests.
During that visit, Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration, an agreement focused on confidence-building and de-escalation between the two neighbours. Rajnath Singh recounted that Vajpayee’s eloquent speech during the Pakistan visit left a strong impression on the audience — so much so that an unmarried Pakistani woman reportedly proposed marriage to him, adding that she wished for Kashmir as a “gift” in return.
According to Singh, Vajpayee responded with characteristic wit. He said he was ready to marry her, but on the condition that the entire country of Pakistan be offered as dowry. The remark, Singh noted, perfectly captured Vajpayee’s humour while underscoring his firm and unambiguous position on Kashmir.
Rajnath Singh also shared a lighter moment from the Emergency period, when Vajpayee was detained and suffering from severe back pain. Taken to AIIMS for treatment, Vajpayee was asked by doctors whether the pain had resulted from bending down. Quoting him, Singh said Vajpayee replied that he never knew how to bend in life and must have “turned somewhere instead,” a response that drew laughter even in adversity.
Another anecdote dated back to 2006, during the Congress-led UPA government, when the Iraq oil-for-food scandal forced then External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh to resign. When journalists asked Vajpayee whether Natwar Singh had been made a scapegoat to shield the Congress leadership, Vajpayee deflected the politically sensitive question with humour, responding simply, “I am a vegetarian.”
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a Bharat Ratna awardee, passed away on August 16, 2018, at the age of 93, after battling kidney-related complications and chest congestion. Rajnath Singh’s recollections served as a reminder that beyond Vajpayee’s role as a consensus-builder, poet and statesman, his wit was a powerful tool — one that softened political discourse without diluting principle. Even years after his passing, Vajpayee’s words and wisdom continue to resonate in India’s public life.
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