New Delhi, Aug 16: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at Delhi's AIIMS today after a prolonged illness. The 93-year-old had turned absent from public life in 2009, when he suffered a stroke which left him speech-impaired. The irony remains that the one who was arguably the best speaker in Indian public life was confined to muteness in the twilight of his life. Here's a lookback at some of his best speeches:

Address at UN Session in Chicago, 1977

Among some of the most memorable speeches of Vajpayee include his address as India's foreign minister at the United Nations session in Chicago, 1977. This was the first occasion when an Indian minister spoke in Hindi at the UN.

Speech at first BJP National Executive Meeting, 1981

While addressing the first national executive meeting of the BJP in 1981, when he was re-elected as the party president, Vajpayee reiterated the party's commitment to Gandhian-socialism, despite being a predecessor of the Jana Sangh.

Parliament address post Nuclear tests at Pokhran

Defying international pressure, Vajpayee carried out the second nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998. The move was bound to draw global ramifications. However, the then Indian PM remained undeterred, saying there will be no "compromise with our self-respect".

'Here comes my resignation, Mr Speaker'

Vajpayee delivered a historic address which galvanised BJP workers across the nation after he lost the trust vote in Lok Sabha in 1996. Watch the highlights below:

Independence Day speech of 2002, post Gujarat riots

In his Independence Day address on August 15, 2002, Vajpayee did not refrain from expressing anguish and disappointment on the riots which erupted in Gujarat that year, claiming more than 3,000 lives. In his speech, Vajpayee stressed on maintaining communal harmony at all cost.

According to former Maharashtra CM Murli Manohar Joshi, who was also a cabinet colleague of the late ex-prime minister, "There will be no other orator like Vajpayee ji. His words struck a chord with people's hearts. Not only did he spoke like a statesman, but valued each and every word part of his speech."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2018 05:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).