TMC MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque demands Bharat Ratna for Sunita Williams

NEW DELHI: In the Rajya Sabha, TMC member Mohammed Nadimul Haque raised a demand on Wednesday for awarding Bharat Ratna to Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who returned to Earth on March 18 after spending over nine months in space.
His Zero Hour submission included comments about a deceased BJP leader from Gujarat, which were later removed following objections from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP members.
Deputy chairman Harivansh, who presided over the session, confirmed the removal of non-relevant portions from Haque's speech. Advocating for Williams' (59) Bharat Ratna nomination, Haque highlighted India's consistent celebration of her achievements, stating that the award would be the ultimate recognition.
He noted that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously supported conferring the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, upon Williams for her exceptional accomplishments. Haque emphasised that Williams' achievements would bring pride to ISRO, adding that significant institutions were established prior to 2014.
He called for Bharat Ratna recognition for "a super achiever with strong Indian and Gujarati root." The TMC representative mentioned Williams' 2007 India visit and her receipt of the Padma Bhushan from the then central government, whilst noting the then Gujarat government's alleged lack of recognition.
Haque referenced Williams' recent expression of interest to visit her ancestral village in Mehsana district, Gujarat, which is also Prime Minister Modi's home region. His subsequent remarks about a deceased BJP leader from Gujarat were disallowed by the chair.
Sitharaman intervened, stating that whilst supporting a Bharat Ratna nomination was acceptable, making unrelated allegations and referencing deceased individuals was inappropriate.
She requested the removal of those specific portions from the record, emphasising that discussions about awards should not include aspersions on the deceased or the Prime Minister. The deputy chairman confirmed the removal of irrelevant sections from the records.
Williams, along with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, landed last month in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft off Tallahassee, Florida's coast.
Williams and Wilmore, Boeing Starliner test pilots, experienced an extended eight-day mission to over nine months due to spacecraft issues including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. Their spacecraft returned separately in September.