Senior JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to award the Bharat Ratna to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, calling him a "precious gem" of the socialist movement. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also supported the demand. However, the JD(U) has distanced itself from Tyagi's statement, with party spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad stating it was his personal view and not aligned with the party's ideology. Tyagi's letter referenced recent Bharat Ratna awards to Karpoori Thakur and Chaudhary Charan Singh.