President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on four distinguished personalities on Saturday, including former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao, along with former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and agronomist MS Swaminathan. LK Advani, a BJP leader, was also among the recipients of the country’s highest civilian award this year.
According to sources, President Murmu visited senior BJP leader LK Advani’s residence to bestow upon him the prestigious award, considering his ailing health.
The award for former PM Charan Singh was received by his grandson, Jayant Singh, while PV Narasimha Rao’s son, PV Prabhakar Rao, accepted his father’s honor. Nitya Rao, MS Swaminathan’s daughter, received the award on behalf of her father, and Karpoori Thakur’s son, Ram Nath Thakur, accepted the honor on his behalf.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, and Congress leader and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.
Narasimha Rao, born on June 28, 1921, in Karimnagar, Telangana, held significant portfolios in Andhra Pradesh’s government before serving as the Chief Minister and General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee.
MS Swaminathan, trained as a plant geneticist, played a pivotal role in India’s green revolution, revitalizing the agricultural sector.
LK Advani, born in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and held key ministerial positions in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet.
Karpoori Thakur, born in 1924, was a prominent leader dedicated to uplifting marginalized sections of society, serving as the Chief Minister of Bihar and advocating for social equality.
Chaudhary Charan Singh, born in 1902 in Uttar Pradesh, was an influential political figure, serving as a Cabinet Minister and holding various portfolios in the government.