Govt avoids direct reply on Bharat Ratna for Savarkar

The government on Tuesday avoided a direct reply on whether it has taken steps to confer Bharat Ratna on Sangh Parivar idealogue Veer Savarkar but said recommendations for the country's highest civilian award are received regularly from various quarters.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told Lok Sabha that no formal recommendation for giving Bharat Ratna is necessary.

"Recommendations for award of Bharat Ratna is received regularly from various quarters. However, no formal recommendation for conferment of Bharat Ratna is necessary. The decisions regarding Bharat Ratna are taken from time to time," he said in a written reply.

He was replying to a question of BJP member from Maharashtra Gopal Chinayya Shetty on whether the government has taken steps to confer Bharat Ratna on the "great revolutionary, historian, social reformer, thinker and litterateur of India Veer Savarkar, who was one of the leading personalities of Indian freedom struggle nd a prominent nationalist leader".

The BJP in its manifesto for the recently concluded assembly elections in Maharashtra had promised to confer Bharat Ratna on Savarkar.