It refers to renewed BJP demand for country’s highest civilian honour ‘Bharat Ratna’ for its leader Atal Behari Vajpayee. ‘Bharat Ratna’ in past has often been misused by awarding it to political personalities, biggest such misuse being in case of MG Ramchandran to seek AIADMK support for the then Congress government.
BJP’s think-tank Govindacharya had once termed the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee just as a ‘mask’. It was Vajpayee who as an outgoing Prime Minister misused his position for a supersonic change of municipal-number of the bungalow at Krishna Menon Marg (New Delhi) from 8 to 6-A just for superstitions. Can such a change of municipal-number be permitted for a commoner too? There are regular talks of misuse of his position first as Prime Minister and then as national leader by his co-residents at government-bungalow allotted to him with even relations of co-residents with the bachelor leader not specified and defined despite their enjoying government-provided facilities for being residents with the former Prime Minister.
‘Bharat Ratna’ should only be awarded only to those rarest of rare personalities whose conduct may not be challengeable even for the smallest aspect including of their personal conduct and character.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Delhi