Bharat Ratna: Asaduddin Owaisi Questions 'Why Dalits and Muslims Not Given Awards'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi ignited the flame by invoking the aspect of Dalits, Muslims, poor and tribal in the ongoing Bharat Ratna controversy
Mumbai, January 28: With Baba Ramdev sparking a row questioning why not even a single sanyasi (saint) had been awarded Bharat Ratna, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday ignited the flame by invoking the aspect of Dalits, Muslims, poor and tribal.
Addressing a gathering in Maharashtra, the AIMIM stalwart said, “Mujhe yeh batao ki jitne Bharat Ratna ke award diye gaye usmein se kitne dalit, adivasi, musalmanon, garibon, upper caste aur Brahminon ko diye gaye? Babasaheb ko Bharat Ratna diya par dil se nahi diya majboori ki halat mein diya. (I want to know, Among the Bharat Ratna recipients, how many of them are Dalits, tribal, Muslims, poor, upper caste and Brahmins? Babasaheb (Bhimrao Ambedkar) was given the award, but halfheartedly.)" Baba Ramdev Jumps Into Bharat Ratna Row, Asks Why No Hindu Saint Awarded in Last 70 Years.
Earlier, Baba Ramdev has ignited the flame on Sunday by questioning why not even a single sanyasi (saint) had been awarded Bharat Ratna? He was commenting on the debate iconic Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami not being announced as a Bharat Ratna awardee. The issue was also raised by Congress leaders.
Informing about the awards, the Rashtrapati Bhavan circular announced that this year Bharat Ratna would be given to Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously), Dr Bhupen Hazarika (posthumously), and former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2019 09:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).