President Pranab Mukherjee will present the Bharat Ratna to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Lucknow on Friday, Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Wednesday.
The president will also confer the Bharat Ratna on Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) on March 30 at Rashtrapati Bhavan along with the Civil Investiture Ceremony for the Padma Awards, a statement said.
The honour for Gwalior-born Vajpayee, who was prime minister first in 1996 and then again from 1998 to 2004, came after years of demands from all sections of society, including political leaders irrespective of party affiliations.
