Ranchi, Aug 6 (PTI) Jharkhand Rajya Sabha MP and JMM leader Mahua Maji on Wednesday demanded that former chief minister Shibu Soren be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
She made the demand a day after the final rites of the JMM co-founder, who breathed his last at a private hospital in Delhi on Monday.
“I don’t think there is any other tribal leader of his (Shibu Soren) stature in the country. Given his struggle, movements and sacrifices for the uplift of the deprived, oppressed, poor and tribals, he should have been awarded the Bharat Ratna long back. We will appeal to the Union government for it,” Maji told reporters.
Stating that Soren was a people’s leader, Maji said, “An era has come to an end with his demise. His name will always be written in golden letters in Jharkhand. He should be awarded Bharat Ratna,” she added.
Supporting Maji, Congress legislator Rajesh Kachchap said Soren was a true tribal leader. “People of the state, along with me, will support the demand for Bharat Ratna for Soren, which will be a true tribute to him,” he told reporters.
On Tuesday, Bihar MP Pappu Yadav and Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari had demanded Bharat Ratna for Soren in recognition of his contributions to the uplift of tribals. PTI SAN SAN MNB
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