On a day a major political slugfest broke out over Bharat Ratna to Amartya Sena following his remarks against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the economist “climbed down” to suggest his criticism of the BJP leader was not an endorsement of a “failed UPA Government”.
“My remark on Modi does not mean I am endorsing the UPA Government. I am learning new things about myself every time I open a newspaper. (There are) many things to learn from Narendra Modi, but (I) do not know if he can be PM or not. I do not regret the statement, (but) it does not endorse the UPA,” Sen told NDTV. At the same time, Sen told Times Now that he was ready to return Bharat Ratna if former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee asks him to. He said it was unfortunate that such a demand had come forth and termed it a “personal” view of BJP Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra.
“Mr Chandan Mitra may not know that the Bharat Ratna was given to me by the BJP-led NDA Government and was handed to me by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. If Mr Vajpayee wants me to return it, I will certainly return it,” Sen said. Sen was also criticised by noted economist Jagdish Bhagwati. “He (Sen) is the one economist who hurt the poor twice. Whether he deserves the Bharat Ratna or not, that is not for me to decide,” Bhagwati told CNN-IBN. He was referring to Sen’s opposition to reforms in 1991 and his support to Food Security Bill now.
While the controversy rages on and the Congress leaders slammed Mitra for being “intolerant,” BJP distanced itself from the tweet by Mitra suggesting that the “next NDA Government must strip him (Sen) of Bharat Ratna.” Mitra said his tweets were his “personal views” and had nothing to do with his party’s position. This was even carried in two prominent English dailies on Thursday, he pointed out.
“Bharat Ratna debate - unfortunate. BJP is not a part of it. Views expressed by member/s can only be construed as their personal opinion,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman wrote on Twitter. Senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi also said this (Mitra’s tweet) is his personal opinion. However, BJP MP from Darbhanga Kirti Azad backed Mitra. “Amartya Sen has got the most reputed award...I don’t think a person who indulges himself in such imaginary accusation must be given noble award; they should consider taking it back,” he said. BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “Modi is the heartbeat of the nation now. Such a statement coming from him (Sen) is rather unacceptable to BJP.”
Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy too hit out at Amartya Sen and endorsed Mitra’s demand. “I had opposed his Bharat Ratna even at that time. I fully support Chandan Mitra’s demand. If a scholar consistently has an anti-India stance in his writing, then he will surely face flak for it. Now that he has the Bharat Ratna, he should be more careful and more responsible,” Swamy said. The Congress, however, took dig at the BJP. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said it was “regrettable” that BJP resorted not only to the “ignominy” of asking Sen to return the Bharat Ratna, something that happened for the first time, but some of its spokespersons also sought return of his Nobel prize. He also asked whether the BJP believed in freedom of speech and asked what wrong Amartya Sen has done by presenting his point of view.
“What kind of mentality is this. What is this, if not fascism. That either you are with us or against us and if you are against us, return the Bharat Ratna. What wrong Amartya Sen has doneIJ Does the BJP believe in the freedom of expression. This is a big blow to the right to express, write and speak,” Tewari said. He said while the Gujarat Chief Minister gave statements daily and the party defends its right to speak, “they think the voice of others should be muzzled”. Asked about the controversy, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “They should have not said like this.” He added that whatever Sen has said about Modi should be correct as he is a noted economist.
“Amartya Sen doesn’t want Modi as PM, rates him below Nitish. For this sin BJP wants to strip his Bharat Ratna. Isn’t it height of intoleranceIJ,” Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said on twitter. JD-U leader KC Tyagi said the BJP demand only reinforces the total demise of the Vajpayee-Advani era based on tolerance, flexibility and accommodation of dissenting views. Minister of State for Human Resources Shashi Tharoor also said there is no question of revoking someone’s Bharat Ratna. “I would not like to comment on what Chandan Mitra has said...but there is no question of revoking someone’s Bharat Ratna,” he said.