Nitish Kumar takes ‘full credit’ jibe at PM Modi over Karpoori Thakur Bharat Ratna

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said giving Bharat Ratna to former CM (late) Karpoori Thakur was an old demand of the Janata Dal (United) but Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attempt to take “full credit” for it. Kumar was addressing an event organised by his party to commemorate Karpoori Thakur’s birth centenary.

The Central government on Tuesday posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna on the Bihar icon.

Nitish Kumar claimed PM Modi informed his party colleague and Thakur’s son Rammath Thakur about the award.

“I was told by Ramnath Thakur, my party colleague and the late leader’s son, that the prime minister had called him up after the announcement. The PM has not called me so far. It is possible that he may claim full credit for the move. Be that as it may, I thank the PM and his government for fulfilling a demand I have been raising since I assumed power in Bihar,” Kumar said.

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

“It was also Karpoori Thakur who inspired our commitment to the cause of Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes. The caste survey, which we conducted and followed it up with many other welfare measures for the deprived sections, should be implemented across the country”, Kumar told the rally.

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.

“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,” Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

On Tuesday, Kumar said the Modi government had fulfilled a long-standing demand of the JDU.

“I have been demanding Bharat Ratna for Karpoori Thakur for a long time. I am delighted by the announcement. It brings to fruition a long-standing demand of the JD(U)”, he said.

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

Thakur, known 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.