Now, CPI-M wants Bharat Ratna for Jyoti Basu

After senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani proposed former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name for the Bharat Ratna, the Communist Party of India – Marxist on Friday said party partiarch Jyoti Basu can be given the honour if he fulfills the parameters.

Asked whether Basu should be awarded the Bharat Ratna, CPI-M politburo member Biman Bose told reporters in Kolkata, "I don't know whether Basu fulfills the parameters. If he fulfills it, Basu can be given the highest civilian award.''

Bose flayed senior BJP leader L K Advani for writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to propose the honour for Vajpayee, saying the saffron party was playing politics with the country's highest civilian award.

"I don't know the parameters under which the Bharat Ratna is awarded or whether Vajpayee fulfils those criteria. But it is definite that they are doing politics over it,'' Bose said.