Is Modi planning to placate Advani with Bharat Ratna?

BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani, who was denied a chance to be the President of India by none other than his political disciple Narendra Modi, will most likely be honoured with Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, next year.

A source close to BJP confirmed that the Modi government has almost made up its mind to honour the BJP veteran with Bharat Ratna.

“You may understand it as a compensatory move,” said the source. “Besides, it will help Modi to change the perception that he ruined Advani’s career,” he said.

A senior journalist, considered to be very close to Advani, said on the condition of anonymity that the proposal is at an early stage but efforts are on to achieve consensus in this regard.

“Senior ministers are leading the campaign,” said the senior journalist.

“Senior Cabinet ministers like Arun Jaitley, Ravishankar Prasad and M Venkaiah Naidu (now NDA candidate for Vice-President) are campaigning for Advani. They are of the view that Advani should be honoured with the highest civilian award,” he added.

Political observers feel that move to honour Advani with Bharat Ratna is aimed at placating the Advani camp in the BJP. In addition to that, it will help Modi to get rid of his ‘Advani betrayer’ image.

“Modi personally would like to bury his anti-Advani perception once and for all, and it is the best remaining option,” said an observer.

While political considerations seem to be in favour of Advani, the Babri demolition case may come as a big legal hurdle. Legal experts feel that Babri demolition case will certainly play a role.

This is such a crucial factor that it cannot be negated. It will affect the decision of the government, said an expert.

“After Supreme Court’s order, Advani is being prosecuted for criminal conspiracy in Babri demolition case along with Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi. Supreme Court has ordered to finish the trial in two years. If he comes clean, then the Modi government can honour him with Bharat Ratna or whatever it wants but before that it will be suicidal as it involves a lot of political risk. No one with a criminal conviction has been honoured with Bharat Ratna,” said Babri Action Committee lawyer Zafaryab Jilani over the phone from Lucknow.

Sources told National Herald that a section of BJP leaders including the PM thinks that Advani will come clean as it is not easy for the prosecution to produce strong evidences against him in the court.

“Some of the witnesses have passed away. Some are said to have lost their interest in the case. Some of them are so old that they hardly can remember any detail,” said head priest of the makeshift Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das.

Political scientist and columnist Shams-ul Islam, however, feels differently. He thinks anything is possible at a time when the idea of “secular and democratic India is on decline.”

“Many ironies are yet to be unfolded,” he said.

Islam thinks that Advani would be the best choice from the BJP’s point of view.

“Advani joined RSS in 1942 when India, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi was unitedly fighting for Independence. It was the time when ‘Quit India’ movement was at its peak. Lakhs of people laid down their lives for the cause of freedom, but Advani, instead of joining the freedom struggle, joined RSS,” he said.

“It was Advani who tried to establish Savarkar as a hero, a freedom fighter. He was the first, as Deputy Prime Minister of India, to recognise Savarkar’s greatness. The Vajpayee government had almost decided to confer Savarkar with Bharat Ratna but backtracked in the face of protests,” he added.

It is important to note that in January 2008, Advani wrote to the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, recommending former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the award.

Although Manmohan did not pay any heed to Advani’s recommendation, his successor, Modi, honoured Vajpayee with Bharat Ratna in 2015. In this case, according to sources, Modi himself would most probably announce Advani’s name for the highest civilian award.

Advani, despite being the chief architect of the BJP’s rise to power, has always remained in the shadow of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the past. And he continues to be in shadow of Modi. His ambition to reach the PMO never materialised. His dream to become the First Citizen of the country is also shattered. So, will he get the Bharat Ratna?