Rajnath Singh recalls how Vajpayee handled Pakistan woman's marriage proposal: 'Humour with a message’

In February 1999, Vajpayee started the famous bus service between Delhi and Lahore.

• Rajnath Singh recalls Vajpayee's wit and humor on his 101st birth anniversary
• Vajpayee's poems inspired hope, resilience, and patriotism
• Singh praised Vajpayee's decorum and resolve, even during illness

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On the 101th birth anniversary of Bharat Natna Atal Bihari Vajpayee,

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recollected how the former prime minister responded when a Pakistani woman wanted to marry him.

"During a visit to Pakistan, a woman, impressed by his speech, asked 'would you marry me, and give Kashmir in exchange?' He said 'I'm ready to marry you, but I want Pakistan in dowry'," Singh said at a solo poetry recital by Kumar Vishwas in honour of Vajpayee.

Singh said Vajpayee had "an amazing sense of humour".

Vajpayee himself was a noted poet.Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh,  Vajpayee was considered one of India’s most respected statesmen, a poet, and a senior leader of the BJP.

His famous poems often focus on resilience, patriotism, and cultural identity, with iconic verses like "Geet Naya Gaata Hoon" (I Sing a New Song) and "Haar Nahi Manunga" (I Will Not Accept Defeat) inspiring hope and perseverance.

According to Singh,  the most admirable aspect of Vajpayee's speeches was that even while attacking his political opponents, he never crossed the bounds of decorum.

Singh said Vajpayee, while speaking in the presence of the then Himachala Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, said the ministers there were "bhadra" (gentle) but not "vir" (brave).

"Vajpayee shone on India's political horizon and will continue to shine forever," Singh said.

Singh also recited lines from Vajpayee's poems and said that, along with height, there was also expanse in Vajpayee's life and personality, according to NDTV.

Recalling an incident from 1998, Singh said Vajpayee was unwell and undergoing treatment at a hospital when he wrote a poem and sent it for publication in 'Dharmayug'. "Vajpayee had written to the editor that the lines might not be worthy of being called a poem, but were a document of his life, "Singh said.

He described the poem as a powerful portrayal of Vajpayee's resolve to never give up, even in the most adverse circumstances.