Bharat Ratna row: Prasad hits back at Cong with family jibe

Justifying the Bharat Ratna demand for V D Savarkar raised by the Maharashtra BJP in its poll manifesto, Union Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad on Wednesday attacked the Congress for opposing the highest civilian honour for such "rashtra bhaktas" (patriots).

Addressing a press conference here in Maharashtra, he also accused the Congress of ensuring that only the "family members" get the highest civilian honour.

Releasing its manifesto for the October 21 Maharashtra assembly elections on Tuesday, the state BJP raised the demand for Bharat ratna for the Hindutva icon along with 19th Century social reformists Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule.

Prasad alleged that Congress did not bestow the Bharat Ratna to 'Sardar' Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of the country, andDalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar earlier.

"Both these leaders were given the highest civilian honour (posthumously) when Narasimha Rao, who didn't belong to the family, was prime minister of the ..