Lucknow: Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday said social reformer Kanshi Ram should be awarded the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to the society. “We welcome the Bharat Ratna conferred on Atal ji. But we also feel that Kanshi Ram ji should also be honoured for his contribution to the society,” she said.
Mayawati had earlier raised objections at the Centre’s decision on conferring the highest civilian award only to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee along with late freedom fighter and educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, while ignoring Dalit icons like Kanshi Ram. Vajpayee was presented the Bharat Ratna by President Pranab Mukherjee on March 27 at the latter’s residence in Lutyens’ Delhi.
