Bihar CM Nitish Kumar takes a swipe at PM Modi over Bharat Ratna homour for Karpoori Thakur

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar takes a swipe at PM Modi over Bharat Ratna homour for Karpoori Thakur

The Bharat Ratna honour for former Bihar CM (late) Karpoori Thakur doesn’t seem to have gone down well with the Bihar CM Nitesh Kumar. The Central government on Tuesday posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna on the Bihar icon.

Amidst addressing an event organised by his party to commemorate Karpoori Thakur’s birth centenary,
the Bihar CM asserted that it was an old demand of the Janata Dal (United) but PM Modi will attempt to take “full credit” for it.

Nitish Kumar further went on to claim that PM Modi informed his party colleague and Thakur’s son Rammath Thakur about the award.

Adding that he was informed by Ramnath Thakur, his party colleague and the late leader’s son, that PM Modi had called him up after the announcement. The PM has not called him (Nitesh Kumar) so far.

That it’s quite possible that he may claim full credit for the move. Be that as it may, Nitesh thanks the PM and his government for fulfilling a demand he has been raising since he assumed power in Bihar.

Taking inspiration from Thakur’s life, Nitish Kumar said that he
never brought anyone from his family into politics.
inspiration from Thakur’s life, he never brought anyone from his family into politics.

Kumar further mentioned that it was also Karpoori Thakur who inspired our commitment to the cause of Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes.

The caste survey, conducted by them and followed up with many other welfare measures for the deprived sections, should be implemented across the country.

It is learnt that the Congress on Wednesday welcomed the decision to confer the highest civilian award to Karpoori Thakur. However, it also said that it reflects Modi’s desperation and hypocrisy.

Jairam Ramesh in a post on X wrote that even though it reflects the Modi Govt’s desperation and hypocrisy, the Indian National Congress welcomes the posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna to the champion of social justice Jannayak Karpoori Thakurji,”

Kumar also said that the Modi government had fulfilled a long-standing demand of the JDU.

Thakur was the first non-Congress socialist leader who became the chief minister. He passed away in 1988.

Thakur, recognised affectionately as ‘Jan Nayak’ (people’s leader), is the 49th recipient of the country’s highest civilian award. The award was last conferred on late president Pranab Mukherjee in 2019.

News Edit K.V.Raman