Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari was on Wednesday picked for the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna, an award that was also bestowed on late freedom fighter and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya.
The announcement of the decision taken by the Modi government came ahead of the birthday of Vajpayee, who turns 90, and the 153rd birth anniversary of Malviya on December 25.
"The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (posthumously) and to Atal Bihari Vajpayee," a Rashtrapati Bhavan press communique said.
The final decision to honour Vajpayee and Malviya was taken at a meeting held by PM Modi which was attended by top BJP leaders including Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and party president Amit Shah.
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| Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
The BJP has been demanding the Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee for the last five years.
When the UPA government announced the Bharat Ratna for former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist CNR Rao last year, the BJP had criticised the Congress for ignoring Vajpayee's contribution to the nation.
Vajpayee will be the first leader from the country's political right to be conferred the honour.
Lal Krishna Advani, Vajpayee's friend and colleague for many decades, was the first to demand a Bharat Ratna for him. Vajpayee's Bharat Ratna also ends the long gap of a politician getting the highest civilian of the country.
Vajpayee is long considered as the tallest leader of the BJP. He was the first non-Congress prime minister who led a coalition government through its full term. While his first government in 1998 could last just 13 days, he was the pivotal force behind the National Democratic Alliance that ruled between 1999 to 2004.
Vajpayee is also perhaps the only BJP leader who draws scores of admirers cutting across political lines and was often dubbed as "the right man in the wrong party" by political opponents.
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| Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya |
Bharat Ratna to Malviya adds an interesting political twist: Malaviya was once the national president of the Congress party. But the renowned educationist is also considered as an icon by the Sangh Parivar.
PM Modi had promised to confer the Bharat Ratna to Malaviya during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. The Banaras Hindu University, founded by the educationist, is in the PM's constituency in Varanasi.
Recipients receive a certificate signed by the President and a peepal-leaf shaped medallion. The award does not include any monetary grant.
Instituted on January 2, 1954, Bharat Ratna has been conferred on 43 individuals. Eleven recipients were awarded posthumously.
Source : Hindustan Times
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