Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the latter might “claim full credit” for conferring the Bharat Ratna on former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur.

Addressing a rally organised by the JD(U) on the birth anniversary of the former Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar highlighted his relentless efforts for the highest civilian award for his political mentor.

“Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur has been conferred with ‘Bharat Ratna’. We had been demanding ‘Bharat Ratna’ for him since 2007 till 2023 from every government including the previous Congress government and the present government But they had not done so. Now, they gave him a ‘Bharat Ratna’. I congratulate the PM and Central government for accepting our demand,” Nitish Kumar said.

Bihar CM said that PM Modi called late leader’s son Ramnath Thakur, who is presently in JD(U), but did not make an effort to make a call to him.

“I was told by Ramnath Thakur, my party colleague and the late leader’s son, that the Prime Minister had called him up after the announcement. The PM has not called me so far. It is possible that he may claim full credit for the move. Be that as it may, I thank the PM and his government for fulfilling a demand I have been raising since I assumed power in Bihar,” Kumar said.

He further said that Karpoori Thakur “never tried to promote” any of his family members since he drew inspiration from late Karpoori Thakur who was known for strong moral values in public life.

“It was also Karpoori Thakur who inspired our commitment to the cause of Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes,” he added.

Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday announced that the President is pleased to award Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur (posthumously).

Karpoori Thakur was born in 1924 in one of the most backward sections of society, the Nai Samaj. He was a remarkable leader whose political journey was marked by his unwavering commitment to the marginalised sections of society.

He served as the Chief Minister of Bihar and was a key figure in the struggle against social discrimination and inequality. His commitment to affirmative action gave representation and opportunities to the poor, oppressed, exploited and deprived sections of the country.