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Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya Thursday demanded the country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna for the party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been conferred with Padma Vibhushan – the country’s second highest civilian honour – posthumously.
Maurya said by giving Padma Vibhushan to Yadav the government has “made a mockery” of his personality, work and contribution towards the nation. “If Netaji had to be respected then he should have been honoured with Bharat Ratna,” he tweeted in Hindi.
On the eve of the country’s 74th Republic Day Wednesday, the Centre listed the recipients of this year’s Padma awards. It also announced a Padma Vibhushan for Yadav – the former UP chief minister and defence minister, who went by the nickname ‘Netaji’. Yadav died on October 10 last year.
Similar sentiments were echoed by party spokesperson IP Singh. “Except the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, no other honour befits the son of the soil, Late Mulayam Singh Yadav. An announcement should be made to give Bharat Ratna to our respected Netaji without any delay,” Singh tweeted.
Meanwhile, SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters in Etawah his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav got the award for his work.
He raised the voice for the poor, labourers, youth, students, lawyers, unemployed and worked for every section of society and took historic decisions in favour of army personnel when he was defence minister, Shivpal Singh Yadav was quoted by news agency PTI.
(With PTI inputs)
