New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi and CCP chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday skipped the ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan during which former President Pranab Mukherjee was conferred with Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian award.
It is learned that Rahul was invited for the function by Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, the reason as to why he skipped the ceremony is yet to be known.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh too was not seen at the ceremony.
Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Ahmed Patel, Bhupender Singh Hooda, Janardan Dwivedi, RPN Singh, Sushmita Dev, and Shashi Tharoor attended the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Mukherjee was conferred with Bharat Ratna by President Ram Nath Kovind at a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier in the day. He was greeted on receiving the accolade by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and a slew of other leaders who were present at the ceremony.
In addition to the former President, Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika and RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh were conferred Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Bhupen Hazarika's son Tej Hazarika received Bharat Ratna on his father's behalf, while, Chairman of Deendayal Research Institute, Virendrajeet Singh, received the Bharat Ratna on behalf of Nanaji Deshmukh.
