Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the central government’s decision to confer former Bihar Chief Minister and socialist leader Karpoori Thakur with India’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna posthumously.
“It is a matter of great pleasure to give the country’s highest honor ‘Bharat Ratna’ to former Chief Minister and great socialist leader Late Karpuri Thakur ji. This is a good decision of the Central Government. This highest honor given to Late Karpoori Thakur Ji on his 100th birth anniversary will create positive sentiments among the Dalits, deprived and neglected sections. The years-old demand has been fulfilled today. Thanks to Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for this,” tweeted Nitish Kumar.
Kumar’s first post on Karpoori Thakur’s Bharat Ratna lauded the central government but did not mention the Prime Minister. Moments later, he deleted the post and shared a fresh one with an additional sentence, saying, “The years-old demand has been fulfilled today. Thanks to Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for this.”
That amendment in Nitish’s tweet caught the internet’s attention at a time when there is intense speculation over the next move of Janata Dal (United).
Interestingly, Nitish Kumar’s praise for PM Modi and the BJP-led central government came amid speculations that the JD(U) supremo, who is currently part of the INDIA bloc, might switch sides again and form an alliance with the saffron camp-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the high-stakes Lok Sabha polls.
Thakur is considered a mentor to prominent Bihari leaders namely Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Devendra Prasad Yadav.
Rift in INDIA Bloc?
“Bharat Ratna declared posthumously to Jananayak Karpuri Thakur ji is actually a victory for the movement of ‘social justice’, which shows that even the traditional opponents of social justice and reservation are now having to bow down before the unity of 90% people of PDA. PDA’s unity is bearing fruit,” tweeted Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Bharat Ratna for Bihar’s Late CM Karpoori Thakur
“I am delighted that the Government of India has decided to confer the Bharat Ratna on the beacon of social justice, the great Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji and that too at a time when we are marking his birth centenary. This prestigious recognition is a testament to his enduring efforts as a champion for the marginalised and a stalwart of equality and empowerment,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Karpoori Thakur, popularly known as ‘Jan Nayak’, was the pioneer in providing the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with the benefit of reservation as he implemented the recommendations of the Mungeri Lal Commission during his tenure as Bihar Chief Minister from 1977 to 1979.
In addition to this, the socialist leader is also remembered for bringing the prohibition of alcohol in the state.
