New Delhi: On Monday Prime Minister Narendra Modi consecrated the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. On Tuesday he said ex-Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur would get a posthumous Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian honour. The high-profile announcements, less than three months before a general election, were referred to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah this evening, as he praised Mr Modi for honouring the wishes of crores of people - devotees of Lord Ram and those from backward communities across the country.
"On January 22 the dream of all devotees of Ram - Ram Lala should 'virajmann' in the grand temple - was fulfilled. On January 23 the wish of crores of backward Dalits and tribals was fulfilled. PM Modi has not only honoured 'jannayak' Karpoori Thakur but also the 70 crore poor people of this country," he said.
Mr Shah said this was possible only because of the PM's humble origins. "People who wanted recognition (for Karpoori Thakur) forgot about him when they came to power," he said, taking a swipe at his rivals.
The Union Minister was addressing a celebration of birth anniversary of Karpoori Thakur, an iconic socialist leader from Bihar, who instituted the state's no-liquor policy, and who mentored Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well as his long-time rival/friend, and former Chief Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
READ | Nitish Kumar's "My Brother" Jab At BJP Over Karpoori Thakur's Bharat Ratna
Both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav have said they had campaigned for Karpoori Thakur to be honoured.
They have also accused the BJP of acting after a caste survey revealed that backward and extremely backward classes account for over 60 per cent of Bihar, and with one eye on the April/May election.
READ | Karpoori Thakur Was Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav's Mentor
The Congress has also questioned the timing of the Bharat Ratna. Rahul Gandhi said a "true tribute" to the man still remembered as 'jannayak', or 'the people's leader', would be to order a caste census.
The Congress-led INDIA, which includes Nitish Kumar's JDU and Lalu Yadav's RJD, has advocated the exercise, arguing it will help identify populations of marginalised communities.
READ | Bihar Caste Survey: 27% Backward Classes, 36% Extremely Backward Classes
The BJP, though, has been ambivalent about the exercise.
Hitting back at critics who have questioned the BJP's record, Mr Shah pointed out there were 27 union ministers from OBCs, or Other Backward Classes. "He himself belongs to that caste," he declared.
Trying to further link the legacy of Karpoori Thakur to Mr Modi, Amit Shah said, "It was Karpoori Thakur who first promoted Hindi. Later PM gave a push to regional languages too."
"Karpoori Thakur took the decision to strengthen the Hindi language five decades ago... and the PM has done the work of taking it forward to the next generation, who are being educated in their own language, by strengthening all local languages, as well as Hindi..." Mr Shah said.
The BJP, in what has been described as a tactical masterstroke, awarded Karpoori Thakur the high award. The move has been seen as a ploy to appeal to non-Yadav OBC voters to break rivals' singular OBC narrative. It has also been seen as a bid to blunt attempts to make caste politics a poll issue.
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