Bestow Bharat Ratna on Atal Bihari Vajpayee, says Farooq Abdullah

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Farooq Abdullah today backed the demand for according the Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he is bigger that the award itself.

The New and Renewable Energy minister said he would make a "personal request" for bestowing the honour on Vajpayee.

"I am not a BJP man but I am an Indian and I think no one can forget that he is a fine leader," Abdullah said on the sidelines of a blood donation camp organised by paramilitary CRPF here.

"I must tell you that the first time he talked in Lok Sabha, Jawaharlal (Nehru) jee went to him (Vajpayee) and said one day you will be the Prime Minister of this country. Nehru said this when no one could think that he would be PM one day," he said.

Abdullah said, "I would personally request that a such a big personality (Vajpayee), who is bigger than the Bharat Ratna, should be given the due honour and it should be given now itself."

BJP has demanded the highest civilian award be bestowed on the former Prime Minister after the government announced the honour for cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist C N R Rao.

Abdullah's National Conference (NC) was a part of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but it left the fold after the Gujarat riots.