New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS): The Congress on Friday welcomed the government's decision to confer Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao posthumously.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: "On behalf of the party, we welcome Bharat Ratna being conferred to P.V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh (also former PM) and M.S. Swaminathan.

"P.V. Narasimha Rao has tremendously contributed to nation building. Under his government, India embarked on a transformative journey with a series of economic reforms that played a pivotal role in shaping the middle class for generations to come," Kharge added.

The Congress president said that Narasimha Rao had made significant contributions to India's nuclear programme and a number of foreign policy achievements marked his tenure.

Kharge said that Chaudhary Charan Singh was known for his pro-farmer policies, and he is widely respected by crores of farmers in the country.