‘Purely personal’: JD(U) distances itself from K.C. Tyagi after his ‘Bharat Ratna for Nitish Kumar’ remark

JD(U) leadership have announced that the party has distanced itself from former MP KC Tyagi after he asked for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to be given a Bharat Ratna on Friday.

According to the sources who spoke to local media, Tyagi’s stance had deviated from the party lines and that his remarks were his own and "purely personal".

Party spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said that the JD(U) will no longer have a formal relationship with KC Tyagi.

In a letter he addressed to the PM Narendra Modi, Tyagi had demanded that the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, be given to Nitish Kumar, who he describes as “equally deserving” as last year's winners Chaudhary Charan Singh and Karpoori Thakur. 

The JD(U) spokesperson had to clarify the party stance, saying, "K.C. Tyagi's demand has nothing to do with the party's official position. In fact, party leaders and workers don't even know whether he is with the JD(U). Therefore, his statements and releases should be taken as statements made in his personal capacity."

Sources say that party leaders have not taken any disciplinary action against him.

JD(U) Minister Ashok Choudhary also distanced the party from Tyagi’s comments and said no formal decision had been taken on the issue.

JD(U) has long acknowledged that Tyagi played a major role within the party for a long time. Despite this, his role in the JD(U) had been reduced. He was removed from the post of general secretary and spokesperson after he made statements that differed from the NDA’s policies on lateral entry into senior government positions, the uniform civil code, and the Israel-Palestine conflict

JD(U) circles believe that the separation marks the end of an era.

Apart from the Bharat Ratna issue, Tyagi had also recently issued a statement in support of Mustafir Rahman, which was also seen as objectionable by the party leadership.

He had said that Rahman should be allowed to play in the IPL, similar to how Bangladesh appointed Hindu Cricketer Litton Das as captain of their team.

JD(U) leadership said that Tyagi should have consulted the party before speaking on the matter as a government ally.