New Delhi: The decision to confer the Bharat Ratna on former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur is an honour to crores of poor people belonging to the backward and Dalit communities, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Wednesday, highlighting the Modi government’s strong push for the development of the OBCs.
The government Tuesday announced the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, for the two-time Bihar chief minister who was considered the fountainhead of OBC politics in Bihar.
Underlining that 27 ministers in the Modi government are from Other Backward Classes communities, Shah said the prime minister has been a strong supporter of the development of OBCs.
Addressing the birth centenary celebration of Karpoori Thakur, affectionately called the Jannayak, the home minister said the Modi government has revised the OBC list, given rights to the states to prepare their own OBC list, provided reservation to the OBC in IITs and IIMs, as well as in allotment of petrol pumps.
“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji ended the wait of 500 years 22nd January by consecrating Ram temple, and the very next day, 23rd January, he accomplished a good deed for the poor by deciding to give the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakurji,” Shah said, referring to the consecration of new Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya temple Monday.
Thakur worked for the promotion of Hindi in administration and academics, and now the Modi government has been promoting local languages under the New Education Policy, the home minister said.
By announcing the Bharat Ratna for Thakur, the prime minister, who himself comes from the backward communities, has given honour and justice to the crores of poor, scores of youths who sincerely and selflessly work for society, and those who have been practising politics of probity, he said.
The home minister said the Modi government has been sincerely working for the uplift of the poor and backward classes.
In the last 10 years, it has given electricity connections to three crore people, free LPG connection to 10 crore people, piped water to 14 crore people, and free food grains to 80 crore people.
He also said that 60 crore people have been given free healthcare facilities and 13 crore toilets have been made by the Modi government. All these reflect Modi’s resolve to work for the poor and downtrodden, the home minister said.
PTI
