Confer Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: Close on the heels of BJP leader leader L K Advani demanding Bharat Ratna for former Premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BSP supremo Mayawati said on Saturday the country's highest civilian award should also be conferred on
party founder late Kanshi Ram.
     
"Kanshi Ram should also be conferred Bharat Ratna for his invaluable contributions in the uplift of dalits and the oppressed," she said at a hurriedly-called press conference here.
     
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister made it clear that she was not opposed to conferring Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee or on CPI-M veteran Jyoti Basu.
     
"I have to come through the media that the government of India is considering to confer Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee and Basu. I support it but at the same time it should also be given to Kanshi Ram," Mayawati said.

Mayawati said she had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.
    
Kanshi Ram fought for the cause of dalits, oppressed and backwards, she said adding in fact, he dedicated all his life for improving their lot.
    
"Kanshi Ram's contributions are unprecedented and invaluable and keeping this in mind, he should be conferred the highest civilian award," the BSP president said.
    
"To honour such a personality amounts to honouring people of the country," she said.
    
To a question on whom she would support in case only one of the three was considered for the top honour, Mayawati quipped "I will tell this to the Centre when asked."