Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Vajpayee: BJP
Raipur: The BJP on Sunday asked why India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, has not been conferred on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
” I am raising a question here that why Atal Bihari Vajpayee has not been awarded Bharat Ratna? He contributed in the formation of Chhattisgarh and he was the most popular Prime Minister…,” deputy leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
“I am saying all this today because the perspective of Congress towards political leaders for awarding Bharat Ratna does not go beyond the dynasty,” Prasad said.
He, however, said after the next general elections if BJP comes to power, it will felicitate Vajpayee with the highest civilian honour, which he deserves.
Reacting to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s statement calling BJP a “party of thieves,” he said, such kind of unparliamentary words were not even used by his great-grandfather, grandmother or father.
“Rahul Gandhi is the great grandson of Nehru ji, grandson of Indira ji and son of Rajiv Gandhi…they have not used such unparliamentary word for any Opposition parties… what Rahul has learned from his ancestors?” he asked.
Citing a newspaper report in which the Centre’s labour department ranked Chhattisgarh lowest in rate of unemployment, he said Rahul should do his homework when he claims that people are unemployed in Chhattisgarh.
