The Janata Dal (United) has publicly disassociated itself from a demand made by one of its senior figures, K C Tyagi, that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. The party clarified that Tyagi's remarks were his personal opinion and did not reflect the official position of the JD(U). This clarification came even as allies within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) voiced their support for the proposal.
Party Draws a Clear Line
On Saturday, JD(U) national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad addressed the issue, stating that the views expressed by the former MP were "his personal views" and were "not in line with the party's ideology." In a remark that highlighted the growing distance between Tyagi and the party leadership, Prasad added that party office-bearers and workers "don't even know if he is still in the JD(U)."
This official reaction followed Tyagi's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi two days prior, in which he urged the PM to consider conferring the country's highest civilian award on Nitish Kumar. In his communication, Tyagi described Nitish as "a precious gem of the socialist movement" and argued that the Bihar Chief Minister was worthy of the honour. He referenced the Bharat Ratna awards conferred on March 30, 2024, and wrote, "On behalf of millions of people, I hope and request that our beloved leader Nitish be bestowed with this honour."
NDA Allies Voice Support, JD(U) Expresses Discomfort
In contrast to the JD(U)'s stance, other NDA constituents openly backed the idea. Union minister and HAM(S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi took to social media platform X to express his confidence that PM Modi would surprise everyone by awarding the Bharat Ratna to Nitish Kumar. Similarly, LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan supported the demand, stating at Patna airport that "he is worthy of it."
However, within the JD(U), there is significant unease over Tyagi's recent public interventions on various issues. Party sources indicated that this discomfort has been building for some time. JD(U) MLC and state chief spokesman Neeraj Kumar attempted to draw a firm boundary, saying, "Nitish has a colossal personality, awards follow him. Only Tyagi knows what he says."
A Series of Awkward Interventions
The party's decision to publicly distance itself stems from a pattern of statements by Tyagi that were seen as politically inconvenient. His comments on the IPL controversy involving Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman and actor Shah Rukh Khan had caused internal unease.
Furthermore, he had publicly dismissed speculation about Nitish Kumar potentially shifting his political stance away from the BJP's ideology—a statement considered unnecessary given the party's firm place within the NDA. Tyagi had also questioned the handling of the IndiGo crisis by the Union civil aviation ministry and made pronouncements on sensitive foreign policy matters like Israel and Palestine.
These repeated forays into topics outside the party's immediate narrative did not sit well with either the JD(U) or its senior ally, the BJP. Party leaders revealed that the JD(U) had chosen to ignore Tyagi's comments previously to avoid public controversy, citing his long association and seniority. However, the Bharat Ratna letter prompted an official clarification to reaffirm the party's collective position.
