Union minister Pashupati Paras demands Bharat Ratna for late Dalit leader Paswan

Paras, a Lok Janshakti Party leader, also demanded that the LJP founder's birthday, July 5, be declared a holiday in Bihar, from where he had hailed.

Patna:Union Food Processing Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras on Sunday demanded that the Bharat Ratna award be conferred on the late Dalit leader and his brother Ram Vilas Paswan.

Paras, a Lok Janshakti Party leader, also demanded that the LJP founder's birthday, July 5, be declared a holiday in Bihar, from where he had hailed.

“Our leader Ram Vilas Paswan always focused on uplifting the downtrodden. He served as a Union minister under six prime ministers. His contribution to the society cannot be forgotten. Therefore, I urge PM Narendra Modi to confer the Bharat Ratna on him," the Union minister told reporters in Patna.

The demand for according the country's highest civilian award to Paswan, who died on October 8 last year, was made by his younger brother earlier also. Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi too had raised the same demand.

LJP leader Chirag Paswan had also written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking a recommendation for the Bharat Ratna for his late father.

Paras said, "I met Nitish Kumar today and requested him to instal a life-size statue of the late Dalit leader in Patna."

Asked about the Election Commission's decision to freeze the symbol of the LJP amid a tussle between the faction led by him and that by Chirag's faction, Paras said he welcomes it.

"I had requested the EC not to allot the LJP symbol to anyone as the matter is pending before the court," he said.

The EC on Saturday barred the Chirag Paswan and the Paras factions from using the name of Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol 'bungalow' till the dispute between the rival groups is settled by the poll panel.

The commission also said that the two factions can use free symbols available to field their candidates for the October 30 bypolls to Kusheshwar Asthan and the Tarapur assembly seats in Bihar.

The LJP, an alliance partner of the National Democratic Alliance, has six MPs in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker recognised Paras as the leader of the party in the House.

PTI