Ram Kripal Yadav on Bhola Paswan Shastri Bharat Ratna: 'Congress should have acted when in power'
Synopsis
Bihar BJP Minister Ram Kripal Yadav turned a Congress Bharat Ratna demand into a pointed counter-attack, asking why the party didn’t honour Bhola Paswan Shastri when it held power. He also dismissed Prashant Kishor’s MLC push and levelled sharp criticism at Rahul Gandhi over the Indore ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ comedian row — a sign of how aggressively the BJP is playing Bihar’s political narrative right now.
Key Takeaways
Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav on 21 September rebuffed Congress demands for a Bharat Ratna for late former CM Bhola Paswan Shastri , asking why the party didn’t act during its own tenures in power.
Yadav said the government ‘will certainly consider’ a Bharat Ratna for Shastri, stopping short of a commitment.
He dismissed Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party , noting all its candidates ‘lost their security deposit’ in the Bihar Assembly elections.
Yadav sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi over a comedian allegedly mocking PM Modi at the Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore on 19 September .
He claimed the public ‘will never forgive Rahul Gandhi’ for the incident and alleged Congress is destroying itself under his leadership.
Bihar Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Kripal Yadav on Monday, 21 September said the present government has given due recognition to every individual who was overlooked in the past, firing back at the Congress over its demand for a Bharat Ratna for former Bihar Chief Minister late Bhola Paswan Shastri on his birth anniversary.
Yadav's Rebuke to Congress on Bharat Ratna Demand
Responding directly to the Congress demand, Yadav said, “We pay our homage to former Chief Minister Bhola Paswan Shastri. Official ceremonies are conducted every year.” He then turned the question back on the opposition: “Regarding the Congress party demanding the Bharat Ratna for him, we want to ask the Congress party, when you were in power, why didn’t you give it to him? You should have given it.”
Yadav added that the current government has a clear record of honouring those previously neglected. “In the future, respecting public sentiments, every appropriate step will be taken for those who have been the gems of our nation. As for Bhola Paswan Shastri, the government will certainly consider it,” he said.
Prashant Kishor and Jan Suraaj Party's MLC Push
Yadav also weighed in on Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor announcing candidates for the upcoming MLC elections in Bihar. He was measured but pointed in his assessment. “It’s fine, Prashant Kishor has his own party and is announcing candidates for the MLC elections. Before this, in the Bihar Assembly elections, his candidates faced complete defeat. I don’t recall the exact figures, but everyone lost their security deposit,” Yadav said. The remark signals that the BJP does not view the Jan Suraaj Party as a serious electoral threat at this stage.
Row Over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ Event
A fresh political controversy has erupted over a comedian who allegedly mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme organised by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Indore on 19 September. Yadav came down hard on Gandhi over the episode.
“Will anyone tolerate if you insult the prime minister from an open platform?” he asked. He further alleged that Congress’ decline is rooted in such conduct, stating, “Congress’ existence has been wiped out, and they will completely erase it.” Yadav stressed that “mocking a Prime Minister or any prominent leader is extremely unfortunate,” and claimed “the public will never forgive Rahul Gandhi for it.”
Critics argue that such incidents provide ready ammunition for the ruling coalition to frame the opposition as disrespectful of constitutional office. The Congress has not yet issued a formal response to Yadav’s remarks. With Bihar politics heating up ahead of future electoral cycles, the BJP’s move to link the Indore controversy to LoP Gandhi’s leadership is seen as a calculated political counter.
Point of View
Flip it into a charge of historical neglect, and pocket the credit for ‘consideration’ without making an actual commitment. The Bharat Ratna for Bhola Paswan Shastri has been a recurring demand from Dalit political circles in Bihar — that neither side has acted on it for decades says more about electoral calculation than genuine recognition. Meanwhile, the BJP’s decision to amplify the Indore comedian row at the ministerial level suggests the party views the episode as a high-value optics opportunity ahead of Bihar’s political calendar. The real question is whether such controversies shift votes or merely generate noise in a media environment already saturated with political point-scoring.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ram Kripal Yadav say about the Bharat Ratna demand for Bhola Paswan Shastri?
Yadav said the government will ‘certainly consider’ a Bharat Ratna for late former Bihar CM Bhola Paswan Shastri, but deflected the Congress demand by asking why the party did not confer the honour during its own years in power. He acknowledged that official ceremonies are held annually in Shastri’s memory.
What is the controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron Ki Goonj programme?
A political row erupted after a comedian allegedly mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event organised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Indore on 19 September 2026. BJP leaders, including Yadav, criticised Gandhi for allowing the incident on a public platform.
What did Yadav say about Prashant Kishor and the Jan Suraaj Party?
Yadav said it was ‘fine’ that Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party was announcing candidates for Bihar MLC elections, but noted that all of the party’s candidates lost their security deposits in the previous Bihar Assembly elections, suggesting limited electoral viability.
Who was Bhola Paswan Shastri?
Bhola Paswan Shastri was a prominent Dalit leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar. His birth anniversary prompted the Congress to renew demands for a posthumous Bharat Ratna in his honour, a demand that has been raised periodically by various political groups in the state.
What is the BJP’s position on honouring leaders overlooked in the past?
BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav stated that the present government has consistently honoured individuals who were overlooked by previous administrations, and pledged that appropriate steps would be taken in future for those considered ‘gems of the nation,’ subject to public sentiment and government consideration.
