Veteran BJP leader LK Advani admitted to Delhi's Apollo hospital with chest infection, condition stable

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital late Friday evening after complaining of a chest infection, officials said. He is currently undergoing treatment and his condition is stable.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the 98-year-old was brought to the hospital at around 7:30 pm. He has been admitted to the pulmonary department and is under observation by a team of doctors.

Hospital officials said the veteran leader is receiving treatment and remains stable.

Advani, 98, was last admitted to Apollo Hospital in May this year due to age-related health issues. He remained in the hospital for a few days before being discharged.

The latest hospitalisation comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Advani at his residence and sought his blessings.

Sharing details of the meeting on X, Modi wrote, “Met Advani Ji at his residence and sought his blessings. His decades of public service and contribution to our national life have left a lasting imprint. He has played a pivotal role in strengthening India's progress.”

Advani's political journey

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1942. His family moved to India during Partition in 1947.

He later became associated with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the political predecessor of the BJP, and emerged as a key figure in the BJP's growth after its formation in 1980.

Advani served as BJP president during three terms: 1986-1990, 1993-1998 and 2004-2005. Under his leadership, the party expanded its national presence, increasing its Lok Sabha tally from two seats in 1984 to 85 in 1989. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the Lok Sabha in 1996.

He served as Union home minister from 1998 to 2004 and deputy prime minister from 2002 to 2004 in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also served as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Advani was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the 2009 general election, when the party lost to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

In March 2024, he was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

Ram Rath Yatra and the Babri Masjid demolition

Advani's role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which sought a temple dedicated to Lord Ram at the site in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid stood, remains one of the most contentious aspects of his political legacy.

On September 25, 1990, he launched a Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh to mobilise support for the temple movement, as reported earlier by HT. The campaign boosted the BJP's national profile but also heightened communal tensions and was followed by violence in several parts of the country.

Advani was arrested in Bihar on October 23, 1990, while the procession was underway. The BJP subsequently withdrew support for the VP Singh government, contributing to its fall.