By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
As Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani celebrated his 98th birthday on Saturday, he was almost forgotten in three states – Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh despite playing a major role in their creation 25 years ago.
Most of the people give credit to late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the creation of three states but they are not privy to the fact that it was Advani who persuaded Vajpayee to bring bill in Parliament to create three states especially Uttarakhand to fulfil the long-standing demand.
As Advani received heartfelt wishes from political leaders across the country, he hardly got any accolade for his role in their creation from three states which are celebrating silver jubilee these days. “We only know Vajpayee ji was Prime Minister when Uttarakhand was formed. We don’t know whether Advani ji also played any role in the creation of Uttarakhand,” said Veer Singh Kaintura, a Dehradun-based businessman.
BJP MLA Kishor Upadhayay also said he did not know whether Advani played any important role in the creation of Uttarakhand.
Recognized as a key architect of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its rise as a dominant national political force, Advani was also awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, for his lifelong dedication to the nation.
Advani was at the forefront of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple movement and started a Rath Yatra in the 1990s to demand the construction of the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.
“I am not surprised if Advani is forgotten in three states which were created when he was Home Minister as he is already forgotten by BJP which he once founded with Vajpayee,” said Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana.
Though Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated Advani on his birthday but didn’t say anything on his role in the creation of Uttarakhand. “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the respected ‘Bharat Ratna’ Shri Lal Krishna Advani ji, who has made national interest, organization building, and ideological clarity the foundation of his life, and who is an inspiration to millions of BJP workers, a symbol of discipline and patriotism, on his birthday,” Dhami wrote on X.
“Your simple life, dedication to national service and organization are a guide for all of us. I pray to Lord Badri Vishal for your healthy, long, and prosperous life,” Dhami said.