Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday welcomed the government's decision to confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"We welcome it. Honourable Atal ji should be given the Bharat Ratna, we had also raised this demand. And he is going to be bestowed with the honour....We are delighted and welcome the move," he told the media after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vajpayee, a veteran parliamentarian and founder member of BJP, will be conferred the Bharat Ratna on Friday.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are likely to be present at the residence of Vajpayee in Lutyens' Delhi where he will be honoured.
The Bharat Ratna announced earlier for noted educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya will be given posthumously to his family members on March 30 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
