Omar congratulates Vajpayee, rues UPA not giving the honour

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today congratulated former Prime Minsiter Atal Bihari Vajpayee on being awarded with Bharat Ratna and said that it should have been given to him during the UPA rule.
"I congratulate him. Better late than never. What UPA could not do, the was decision taken by NDA", Omar told reporters here today.
"But I feel sorry that he was not awarded during the period of UPA government. My father was a minister at that point of time. He had also requested Centre then that it would be appropriate to rise above the political affiliation and decide to confer upon him the award.

"What UPA has not done was done by the NDA. He was really deserving. I congratulate him," he said.
Veteran parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the founder member of BJP who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, was today conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee.
On the 10-member coordination committee formed by coalition partners in the state-PDP and BJP, Omar said, "As if it is something new. They have come together and formed the government and now they have to run the government. They are showing the differences".