Modi govt has forgotten Savarkar, Bal Thackeray while announcing Bharat Ratna awards: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday targeted the Modi government for "forgetting" Hindutva icon and freedom fighter V D Savarkar and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray while announcing the Bharat Ratna awards, the PTI reported.

According to the PTI, Former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh as well 'Green Revolution' pioneer M S Swaminathan will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

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In a post on X, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has again forgotten Savarkar and Thackeray, while he announced Bharat Ratna to former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh and agriculture scientist and father of India's food revolution Dr. S Swaminathan."

The norm is that Bharat Ratna is awarded to three individuals in a year, but Modi announced five names, Raut said and cited the upcoming polls for the same.

The government had earlier named former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, a champion of backward empowerment, and L K Advani, a founding BJP member credited with charting the course of its rise through the 1990s, for the country's highest civilian honour.

At five, one more than the four announced in 1999, this is the maximum number of Bharat Ratnas announced for a year.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Congress on Friday lauded the Centre's decision to confer Bharat Ratna on former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, contending that even the BJP now believes that the grand old party and its leaders contributed to nation-building, according to the PTI.

Rao, former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, as well as agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

State Congress president Rajesh Thakur said it was noteworthy that the saffron party took into account the contributions of the former prime ministers, as per the PTI.

Rao was a lifelong Congressman and is considered the political architect of economic reforms, which changed the country's course.

I express my gratitude that the Union government has recognised the work of the former prime ministers. This shows that even the BJP now believes that Congress and its leaders have contributed to the development of the nation, Thakur told reporters here.

Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, should not be used for political gains, Thakur added, without elaborating.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) questioned the timing of conferring Bharat Ratna on the two former prime ministers.

I am not demeaning the prestigious award. The contributions of those who were named for Bharat Ratna have been immense. But, the decision comes shortly before the (Lok Sabha) polls, which raises doubts, JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, the news agency reported.