NEW DELHI: On Thursday, Former President Pranab Mukherjee, late Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh and late singer Bhupen Hazarika were conferred the Bharat Ratna, he country’s highest civilian award.

President Ram Nath Kovind gave the award to Mukherjee, Hazarika’s son Tej and Vikramjeet Singh, a close relative of Deshmukh, at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Hazarika and Deshmukh were given the Bharat Ratna posthumously

Mukherjee is the fifth President to receive this award. He was the President between 2012 and 2017. 

Deshmukh was one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which later evolved as the BJP

Hazarika was awarded Padma Shri (1977), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1992), Padma Bhushan (2001) and Padma Vibhushan (2012-posthumously)