New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, on former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, posthumously at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
According to media reports, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart LK Advani will be given the Bharat Ratna award on Sunday. President Murmu will pay a visit to senior BJP leader LK Advani’s residence and confer him with the prestigious award due to his ailing health condition.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Bharat Ratna upon agronomist MS Swaminathan. MS Swaminathan’s daughter Nitya Rao received the award on Saturday. The President also conferred the Bharat Ratna award upon former Indian Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh (posthumously) at Rashtriya Bhavan. Chaudhary Charan Singh’s grandson Jayant Singh received the award. The Bharat Ratna award of former PM PV Narasimha Rao (posthumously) was recived by son PV Prabhakar Rao.
Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur’s son Ram Nath Thakur was elated on receiving the award for his late father. The JD(U) leader said, “I am very happy. The government of India acknowledged his work and gave him this award. On behalf of the country, I express my gratitude towards PM Modi for conferring the highest civilian honour on him”.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.
The Modi government had announced Bharat Ratna awards this year to five emminent personalities, including one to L K Advani. This year, a total of five people have been honoured with Bharat Ratna, the maximum since 1999, when four were given the award. Four of the five awards were posthumous. Advani, 96, is the only one alive but due to ill health he could not attend the Saturday’s ceremony in the national capital.
