Ex-President and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee was presented the Bharat Ratna, by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday evening.
Mukherjee was named for India’s highest civilian honour in January, along with renowned musician Bhupen Hazarika and Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Nanaji Deshmukh.
Mukherjee, 83, served the country as its 13th President for five years from July 25, 2012 and emerged in the role as a respected and admired leader whose words were heard with attention.
At Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mukherjee worked with two prime ministers – Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi – and had excellent equation with both.
He returned to the presidential estate on Thursday evening to receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind, who had succeeded him.
A quintessential Congressman who spent 23 years as a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy-making body of the party, Mukherjee showed a natural ease in his relationship with Modi, who belonged to the party he had strongly opposed in his political career.