“He deserves it. Why should not it be given to him?” Kumar, who served as railway minister in the Vajpayee cabinet, said when asked if he supported Bharat Ratna for the former prime minister.
Kumar, who is the driving force of JD (U), also made a strong case for giving the award to Rammanohar Lohia his ideological guru and Karpoori Thakur, who was chief minister of the state in 1977.
However, he distanced himself from the statement of party leader Shivanand Tiwari questioning the award to Sachin Tendulkar.
“It is a personal opinion of Tiwari … everybody has an opinion,” he said. “I welcome the Bharat Ratna given to Sachin Tendulkar who served the country through his extraordinary contribution to the game.”
On comments of scientist CNR Rao that politicians were ‘idiots’, Kumar said he was an eminent scientist even as he agreed with the views of Rao that more funds should be earmarked for research work in science and technology.
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Meanwhile, the Janata Dal-United MP Shivanand Tiwari questioned awarding the Bharat Ratna to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar instead of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand.
“I fail to understand why Dhyan Chand was ignored and Sachin Tendulkar was given Bharat Ratna,” JD(U)’s member of parliament Shivanand Tiwari told mediapersons here.
Tiwari said the ministry concerned had shortlisted the name of Dhyan Chand for giving the Bharat Ratna.
“Dhyan Chand was incredible for having taken hockey to international level for the country when there was no corporate and powerful media. His magic impressed even fascist leaders of Germany who offered him money, comfortable and luxurious life but Dhyan Chand stuck to India,” he said.
“Sachin Tendulkar was not playing free of cost. Sachin has made crores of rupees by helping corporates to market cricket in the country,” Tiwari said.
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