On Saturday , The remarks from the AIMIM leader comes days after Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge supposed that the Narendra Modi government gave Bharat Ratna to its loyalists. While, Kharge had said the government had conferred the Bharat Ratna on “a singer” and “a man who propagated their RSS ideology”, in an obvious reference to Bhupen Hazarika and Nanaji Deshmukh, instead of late Karnataka seer Shivakumara Swami of the Siddaganga Mutt.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had demanded an apology from Kharge for his remark, while the All-Assam Students’ Union asked the Congress not to politicise Hazarika’s Bharat Ratna. A case was filed against Kharge by a Right to Information activist from Assam, Raju Mahanta, who said that his comment hurt the sentiments of Assamese people. Mahanta also demanded an apology from Kharge in the Lok Sabha.
Yoga teacher Baba Ramdev too jumped in on the controversy over Bharat Ratna awards, pointing out that in the 70 years since Independence, no saint has been given any national award despite immense contribution to society by many of them. Asked if he has a grudge against the government in this regard, Ramdev grinned, saying, "I can't say that... I'm simply pointing this out".
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On Sunday at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Ramdev said while he had great respect for those who received the Bharat Ratna for their work in nation building, how is it that not a single saffron-robed monk has received the nation's highest civilian award.This year, former president Pranab Mukherjee, late singer Bhupen Hazarika, and late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh received the country's highest civilian honour.
