New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late Madan Mohan Malaviya, educationist and freedom fighter, were chosen for the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, on Wednesday. The announcement from Rashtrapati Bhavan was made ahead of Vajpayee’s birthday on Thursday, and the 153rd birth anniversary of Malaviya. Last year, when the then UPA government announced the Bharat Ratna for scientist C N R Rao and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, the BJP had crticised the government for ignoring Vajpayee.

Describing Vajpayee as “one of the most outstanding prime ministers and leader that the country has seen in post-independence era,” Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, “He believed in taking the country forward through consensus and is the greatest communicator India has seen.” “He is an anmol ratna. He is one of the rare leaders who is not only recognised in India but even outside the country… We have decided to celebrate his birthday as ‘Good Governance Day’ and all parliamentarians and ministers have been asked to go to their constituencies and organise cultural programmes.

The Bharat Ratna has come at the appropriate time,” said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh also described Malaviya as a great educationist and freedom fighter. “The Bharat Ratna is a recognition of his tremendous contribution,” he said. Malaviya was president of the Indian National Congress and also one of the intial members of the Hindu Mahasabha. He set up the Banaras Hindu University. Malaviya’s grandson, Giridhar Malaviya, a former judge, was one of the proposers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s candidature from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat earlier this year.