Chaudhary Charan Singh, Narasimha Rao And MS Swaminathan to be Awarded Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratnas Announced: Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh and MS Swaminathan will be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.  This year, instead of the usual three, the government has decided to honour five individuals with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award. Earlier, the Modi government had announced Bharat Ratna for BJP leader LK Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur as well. 

Bharat Ratna to Former PM Narasimha Rao

“Delighted to share that our former Prime Minister, Shri PV Narasimha Rao Garu, will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. As a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao Garu served India extensively in various capacities. He is equally remembered for the work he did as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister, and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly for many years. His visionary leadership was instrumental in making India economically advanced, laying a solid foundation for the country's prosperity and growth”, PM Modi tweeted.

“Narasimha Rao Garu’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant measures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development. Furthermore, his contributions to India's foreign policy, language and education sectors underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who not only steered India through critical transformations but also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage”, PM wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Bharat Ratna to MS Swaminathan - Indian agronomist, Agricultural Scientist

Announcing Bharat Ratna for agronomist, MS Swaminathan, PM Modi said,"It is a matter of immense joy that the Government of India is conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji, in recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare. He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture. We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encourage learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely and l always valued his insights and inputs."

Bharat Ratna to Chaudhary Charan Singh 

Announcing Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh, Modi said, “It is the good fortune of our government that former Prime Minister of the country Chaudhary Charan Singh is being honoured with Bharat Ratna. This honour is dedicated to his incomparable contribution to the country. He had dedicated his entire life to the rights and welfare of farmers. Be it the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh or the Home Minister of the country and even as an MLA, he always gave impetus to nation-building. He also stood firm against the Emergency. His dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters and his commitment to democracy during the Emergency is inspiring to the entire nation.”

How Leaders Reacted - Who Said What 

Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi said, "I welcome it."

Welcoming the Modi-led government's decision, fresh NDA recruit Jayant Chaudhary tweeted, "Dil Jeet Liya". 

BJP MP and former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi says, "...We welcome the decision. The Congress Govt never honoured them..."

BJP leader & grandson of Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, NV Subhash said, “PM Modi has conferred PV Narasimha Rao though he belongs to the Congress party. Now, I blame the UPA government especially the Gandhi family from 2004 to 2014 when the UPA government was in power in centre leave alone Bharat Ratna, leave alone any awards. The Gandhi family was very, very instrumental in making Narasimha Rao a scapeboard for the failures of the Congress party...It's a pride, it's an honour for us that at this point of time, at this crucial juncture where Narendra Modi has become the national leader and as the leader of the whole world where he has been constantly recognizing whether it is Bharat Ratna or Padma Vibhushan or including the Bharat Ratna, it is. I feel very, very emotional at this point in time because we have been expecting that the Bharat Ratna will be delayed. But due to the efforts of the BJP Telangana...As a family member, I thank the BJP Telangana also for making this a grand success and the dream come true...”