India, Dec. 26 -- Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday paid floral tributes to Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on his 165th birth anniversary and to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 101st birth anniversary.

Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, MLAs Sanjay Goyal and Ashok Goyal, former North Delhi mayor Jayprakash and senior officers of the Delhi Assembly Secretariat were also present on the occasion.

Speaking to reporters, Gupta said the Delhi Legislative Assembly building once served as the Central Legislative Assembly, where Malaviya himself took part in debates that helped shape India's political history.

"We have preserved nearly 440 speeches delivered by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in this very ...