Congress president Rahul Gandhi also congratulated former president Pranab Mukherjee on being conferred the Bharat Ratna, saying he is "one of our own" who has been recognised and honoured. “Congratulations to Pranab Da on being awarded the Bharat Ratna. The Congress party takes great pride in the fact that the immense contribution to public service and nation building of one of our own, has been recognised and honoured," he said on Twitter.
The Bharat Ratna will be conferred after a gap of four years. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and founder of Banaras Hindu University Madan Mohan Malviya were given the award by the Narendra Modi government in 2015.
Who is Pranab Mukherjee?
- Mukherjee, fondly known as 'Pranab Da', was the president between 2012 and 2017.
- Mukherjee became India's youngest finance minister in 1982 at the age of 47.
- From 2004, he went on to head three crucial ministries - External Affairs, Defence and Finance.
- He became the first occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to have this distinction.
- Last year, Mukherjee had drawn flak from certain quarters for attending an RSS function in Nagpur.
It is reported that Narendra Modi had personally called Pranab Mukherjee to convey the news. On Twitter, PM wrote “Pranab Da is an outstanding statesman of our times. He has served the nation selflessly and tirelessly for decades, leaving a strong imprint on the nation's growth trajectory. His wisdom and intellect have few parallels. Delighted that he has been conferred the Bharat Ratna.”