Justifying the Bharat Ratna demand for V D Savarkar raised by the Maharashtra BJP in its poll manifesto, Union Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad on Wednesday attacked the Congress for opposing the highest civilian honour for such "rashtra bhaktas" (patriots).
Addressing a press conference here in Maharashtra, he also accused the Congress of ensuring that only the "family members" get the highest civilian honour.
Releasing its manifesto for the October 21 Maharashtra assembly elections on Tuesday, the state BJP raised the demand for Bharat ratna for the Hindutva icon along with 19th Century social reformists Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule.
Prasad alleged that Congress did not bestow the Bharat Ratna to 'Sardar' Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of the country, andDalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar earlier.
"Both these leaders were given the highest civilian honour (posthumously) when Narasimha Rao, who didn't belong to the family, was prime minister of the country," he added.
"Why the Congress is troubled with the BJP's demand for Bharat Ratna for Savarkar in its manifesto? The Congress always gathered 'Bharat Ratna' among the family only (sic)," he said.
Reacting to the Maharashtra BJP's poll manifesto, the Congress had said: "If the BJP government was considering the Bharat Ratna demand, then God save this country."
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