New Delhi: Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani has backed awarding the Bharat Ratna to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and said he regarded it as "significant" that the Narendra Modi government has decided to observe Dec 25, Vajpayee's birthday, as 'Good Governance Day'.

In an interview to CNN-IBN news channel, Advani said: "A Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee should not be seen in terms of a reward for doing his duty but as an award that recognises his stature. It would be very appropriate and befitting for a patriot like Vajpayee."