FormerPresident Pranab Mukherjee will be awarded with India's highest civilian awardBharat Ratna by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday.
The83-year oldserved as India's 13th President from 2012-2017 but priorto his election to the post, Mukherjee also served as the Union FinanceMinister from 2009 to 2012.
Mukherjee,after being selected for the prestigious award expressed gratitude on beingconferred with the Bharat Ratna saying "I have received much more from thepeople and from this country than I have given to it."
He alsosaid, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to the people of this country.At the same time, with all humility, I accept this honour. I have conveyed myappreciation by talking to the President of the Republic. I also convey mydeepest gratitude to the people of this country."
PrimeMinister Narendra Modi congratulated Mukherjee for his decades of service tothe country. Modi in a tweet said, "Pranab da is an outstanding statesman ofour times. He has served the nation selflessly and tirelessly for decades,leaving a strong imprint on the nation's growth trajectory. His wisdom andintellect have few parallels. Delighted that he has been conferred the BharatRatna."