Sushil Kumar Modi selected posthumously for the Padma Bhushan in the field of public affairs, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Jessie Sushil Modi, wife of late BJP Sushil Kumar Modi, on Monday (January 27, 2025) expressed her gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her husband being conferred the Padma Bhushan posthumously.
“The announcement of Padma Bhushan to Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been striving all his life to give a new direction to the progress and prosperity of Bihar through politics, is an honour for the people of Bihar,” Mrs. Modi said in a statement.
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She also expressed her gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP State president Dilip Jaiswal and both Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
The late leader’s wife and two sons — Utkarsh Tathaghat and Akshay Amritanshu — hoped that this award would enhance the self-respect of lakhs of dedicated workers of the party that the BJP veteran served till his last breath.
Mrs. Modi said that Sushil Modi worked among different sections of society and did a lot of social work for the development of Bihar, including helping poor people especially those living below poverty line (BPL) in hospitals.
“This award will also help lessen the wounds of the innumerable party workers and his well-wishers and for all of them the award would become a source of inspiration especially for youth who need leaders to set goals and give direction,” Mrs. Modi said.
She also said that posthumously honouring the Padma Bhushan award is actually a recognition of Sushil Modi’s dedication and good work during his five decade-long career in public and political life.
“My family along with lakhs of BJP workers and Sushil Modi’s fans are happy with this honour and I will be very happy to dedicate this honour to the people of Bihar as his life was meant for Bihar. This will be a true tribute and respect to Sushil Modi, who considered politics as a medium of service and well-being and prosperity of the common people,” Mrs. Modi said.
“This is recognition for transforming the finances and development of the state of Bihar and the successful implementation of GST in the country. Sushilji’s work is a source of inspiration for the young generation and new age leaders,” she stated.
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Sushil Modi passed away on May 13, 2024 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He was 72.
A product of the JP Movement led by freedom fighter and socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, Modi was a tall leader of Bihar politics for a long time.
He became Deputy Chief Minister for the first time in 2005 when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had wrested power in the State from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Modi is also remembered for his long stint as Bihar Finance Minister and had earned the sobriquet “Bhamashah” from Mr. Kumar, a reference to the legendary general of medieval warrior king Maharana Pratap Singh.
Published – January 28, 2025 12:33 am IST
