Responding to the Lok Sabha question raised by the BJP MP from Mumbai North, Gopal Shetty, about the steps taken by the government to confer Bharat Ratna upon great revolutionary Veer Savarkar, the Home Ministry said, “no formal recommendation for granting Bharat Ratna is required, the decision is taken from time to time”.
MHA reply to an LS question on whether govt has received public representations to confer Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar: “No formal recommendation for Bharat Ratna is necessary. The decisions regarding award of Bharat Ratna are taken from time to time” pic.twitter.com/2lIqTUqAq8
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) November 19, 2019
Shetty had sought details of steps taken by the government to confer Bharat Ratna on freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and whether the government has received representations from the public representatives over it.
Nityanand Rai from the Ministry of Hime Affairs issued a reply saying, “Recommendations for Bharat Ratna are routinely received from several quarters, however, no formal recommendation for this award is necessary. The decision regarding the award of Bharat Ratna is taken from time to time.”
In the run-up to the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP had proposed Bharat Ratna for Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar. The election manifesto released by the Maharashtra BJP unit said that it will ask the NDA government at the centre to confer the highest civilian award of the country on Savarkar.
Congress, on the other hand, was derisive in condemning BJP’s demand to grant Savarkar a Bharat Ratna. Congress leader Manish Tewari said, “If on the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this government thinks of conferring Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar, then all I can say is God save this country.”
