Speculation rife but Govt refuses to divulge its plan
The BJP Government, which is celebrating Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 90th birthday on December 25 as “Good Governance Day” across the country, may confer on him this year’s Bharat Ratna award, the highest civilian honour of the nation, in recognition of his “stupendous” and “all round” contribution to the nation.
According to sources, the Government may bestow Bharat Ratna on January 26, the Republic Day. The issue was raised in the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday when BJP MPs sought the award for the party’s ailing patriarch. The BJP had already announced that it would confer the nation’s highest civilian award on Vajpayee if it is catapulted to power at the Centre.
When contacted by The Pioneer, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu refused to comment on the speculation. He said, “All I can say is that I would meet Vajpayeeji on December 24 before proceeding to Bangalore and Vishakhapattanam to mark ‘Good Governance Day’ on Atalji’s birthday.”
However, some BJP and Shiv Sena MPs strongly supported the idea of honouring Vajpayee. Senior BJP leader and MP from Kanpur Murli Manohar Joshi said, “Nobody deserves the Bharat Ratna more than Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji.”
Mathura MP and former Bollywood actress Hema Malini too supported the demand, stating, “He has done so much great work, and we as party members feel very honoured and happy if it is given to Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji.”
Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete, a Minister in the Modi Government, said that his party wants Bharat Ratna for the former Prime Minister. The BJP-led NDA Government (1999- 2004) conferred Bharat Ratna on singer lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Amartya Sen, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Gopinath Bordoloi and Jayaprakash Narayan.
The BJP had expressed its reservation last year, when the UPA Government had announced the Bharat Ratna for cricketer-turned-RS member Sachin Tendulkar and scientist CNR Rao, as it felt that the Congress-led Government had deliberately ignored the contribution of Vajpayee.
Marking December 25, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, all the Union Ministers and BJP MPs will go to their respective constituencies and States (in case of RS members) and participate in “Swachch Bharat Abhiyan”.