December 25 marks the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Known for his oratory skills, Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as Prime Minister of India three times. Vajpayee, who was also a poet and a veteran of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), used to combine sarcasm and wit with humour to make powerful and passionate speeches. On Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 96th birthday, here are top five speeches by the master orator. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Biopic Titled ‘The Untold Vajpayee’ in the Scripting Stage.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered a striking speech during the no-confidence motion moved against his government in 1996. Although he could not save his government, he made a strong point about his commitment to services for the nation. "We bow down to the strength of the majority. We assure you that till the time the work that we started with our bare hands in the national interest is not completed, we shall not rest," Vajpayee said in his passionate speech. From Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manohar Parrikar, Sushma Swaraj to Arun Jaitley, Demise of BJP Stalwarts Leaves Void in Indian Polity.

Another famous speech of Vajpayee is the one he delivered after the Pokhran test. After India successfully tested the explosion of five nuclear bombs, Vajpayee made the big announcement and later explain to Parliament why the step was taken. "The Pokhran-2 nuclear tests were conducted neither for self-glorification, nor for any display of machismo. But this has been our policy, and I think it is also the policy of the nation, that there should be minimum deterrence, which should also be credible. This is why we took the decision to conduct tests," he said.

One of Vajpayee’s speeches often heard by his admirers was delivered outside the Parliament in 1980. "Andhera Chhatega, Sooraj Niklega, Kamal Khilega (The darkness will go, the sun will come out and the lotus will bloom)," he said addressing BJP Mumbai Adhiveshan.

In May 2003, addressing Parliament, Atal Bihari Vajpayee made a strong remark on Pakistan. He said: "You can change friends but not neighbours."

On Jammu and Kashmir, Vajpayee's words are still seen as a guide to resolve the decades-old crisis. "Gun can solve no problem; brotherhood can. Issues can be resolved if we move forward guided by the three principles of Insaaniyat (humanism), Jamhooriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat (Kashmir’s age-old legacy of amity)," he said in 2003.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 25, 2019 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).