New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Janata Dal (United) MP Lovely Anand on Tuesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for their contributions to governance and development.
Participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president's address in Lok Sabha, the MP from Bihar's Sheohar praised the leadership of Modi and Kumar, and claimed that their works have transformed the country and the eastern state.
"The mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas' is being fully realised," she said.
Recalling the law and order situation in Bihar under former chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's government, Anand claimed people feared for their safety then.
"Under Lalu Ji's rule, there was no guarantee that if a person left home in the morning, he/she will return safely by the evening. But Nitish Kumar has changed this," Anand claimed, as she credited the Bihar chief minister for restoring law and order in the state.
To justify her demand to confer Bharat Ratna to Modi and Kumar, Anand drew a historical parallel.
"Jawaharlal Nehru was conferred the Bharat Ratna. But Modi Ji has done so much work. What was the state of the country before Modi Ji took charge, she asked.
The JD-U MP also lauded the scale of development taking place in India, claiming, "So much is happening in the country today." The JD-U is a crucial ally of the NDA, both at the Centre and in Bihar. PTI UZM ARI