All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday lamented the Union government’s order to confer the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian honour, to BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani saying that the graves of Indians who lost their lives in Ram Rath yatra violence are nothing but stepping stones.
While sharing a map of India, showing the “places affected by Advani’s Ram Rath Yatra from September 23 to November 5, 1990” on X, he said, “Well deserved #BharatRatna for LK Advani. The graves of Indians who lost their lives in violence are nothing but stepping stones.”
Lal Krishna Advani is considered a prominent figure in the BJP who played a pivotal role in bringing the party to national prominence through his Rath Yatra advocating for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in the early 1990s.
On September 25, 1990, Advani embarked on a ‘rath yatra’ from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in UP to build the Ram temple. However, his yatra was cut short in Bihar when he was arrested in Samastipur on the orders of then Lalu Yadav government. On December 6, 1992, karsevaks brought down the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, triggering widespread riots across the country.
Earlier today, PM Modi announced that LK Advani would be conferred the Bharat Ratna. After PM Modi’s announcement, a communication from the Rashtrapati Bhawan said President Droupadi Murmu has been pleased to award the Bharat Ratna to Advani.
“One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister,” he said in a post on X.
The honour comes days after Ram Lalla was consecrated in newly built Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. Lal Krishna Advani was the frontrunner of the Ram Temple movement. “With utmost humility and gratitude, I accept the ‘Bharat Ratna’ that has been conferred on me today. It is not only an honour for me as a person, but also for the ideals and principles that I strove to serve throughout my life to the best of my ability,” the BJP stalwart said in a statement.
In January, the Centre named former Bihar chief minister late Karpoori Thakur for the country’s highest honour. Since 2014, PM Modi led central government awarded Bharat Ratna to Nanaji Deshmukh, Bhupen Hazarika, Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Madan Mohan Malviya.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
