Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar used the opportunity to mock BJP for celebrating the anniversary of Karpoori Thakur. (Press Trust of India file photo)
Paying rich tributes to late socialist leader Karpoori Thakur on his birth anniversary, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today sought Bharat Ratna for the 'Jan Nayak' (people's leader) for championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden.
"Now that BJP is also celebrating anniversary of Karpoori Thakur, I ask them to grant Bharat Ratna to the Jan Nayak posthumously without any delay," Mr Kumar said addressing a function organised by JD(U) to mark the day.
Highlighting the works of the former Bihar chief minister for the downtrodden, Mr Kumar said his government was walking on the path shown by the socialist leader.
Mr Thakur was born on January 24, 1924 and died on February 17, 1988.
Mr Kumar used the opportunity to mock BJP for celebrating the anniversary of Mr Thakur, who, he said, was removed as chief minister by the saffron party in the late 70s.
"It is surprising that BJP, which had removed Thakur as chief minister in the late 70s, is celebrating his anniversary. It is ideological victory for people practicing the socialism propagated by Thakur," Mr Kumar said at the function at SK Memorial, which was allotted to JD(U) following a ruling from Patna High Court dismissing petition by BJP for allotment of the same hall to them for a function today.
Taking a potshot at BJP, he said, "Karpooriji's ideology might show them (BJP) the way amidst environment of intolerance that they have created in the country which has led to death of a Dalit student in Hyderabad."
The Bihar chief minister also came down heavily on BJP for onslaughts at him over almost every other issue.
"After Patna Commissioner did not allot them SK Memorial and allotted it to JD(U), which had applied earlier, they blamed me for it. Do I operate at the level of a Commissioner?" he said.
"BJP is resorting to chest beating for everything . Even a doctor will not help them in this disease," he added.
Earlier, the chief minister flew to Karpoori Gram in Samastipur to pay tribute to the socialist leader.
Mr Thakur's son and JD(U) Rajya Sabha member Ramnath Thakur was present on the occasion.
All major political parties celebrated the birth anniversary of the socialist leader keeping in mind that the extremely backward caste (EBC) to which the socialist leader belonged formed a sizable section of voters in Bihar.
At a function in state party headquarters, RJD president Lalu Prasad sang paeans to the socialist leader and attacked BJP for "torturing" him to death.
"Karpooriji had not reached the age to die but he died due to torture by BJP," Mr Prasad said, adding it was because of Thakur that the backward and the downtrodden enjoy the fruit of power today.
BJP celebrated Mr Thakur's birth anniversary at its party office at Beer Chand Patel road.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Prem Kumar, state chief Mangal Pandey and Union Minister of State Ramkripal Yadav paid rich tributes to Jan Nayak and remembered his work for the upliftment of poor and downtrodden.
Union Minister of State for Education Upendra Kushwaha paid floral tributes to Thakur at a function organised by his party Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an ally of BJP.
Later, talking to reporters, Mr Kushwaha supported Mr Kumar's plea to bestow Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur.
Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi also paid rich tributes to the socialist leader.