Rahul Gandhi demands Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram; Mayawati sees it as bid to weaken BSP

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram, a move already seen by BSP Supremo Mayawati as an attempt to weaken her party.

Sharing the letter on X, Gandhi said that he has formally demanded that the Government of India honour Kanshiram with the Bharat Ratna, calling the Bahujan movement leader “a great warrior of social justice and the guiding light of Bahujan consciousness”.

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“I demand that the Government of India honor the great warrior of social justice and the guiding light of Bahujan consciousness, the esteemed Shri Kanshi Ram Ji, with the Bharat Ratna. This highest national honor will be a tribute to Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and the entire movement that showed millions of Bahujans the path to rights, participation, and self-respect,” Gandhi said in the post accompanying his letter to the PMO.

In the letter, Gandhi said Kanshi Ram had “transformed the nature of Indian politics” and raised political awareness among Bahujans and the poor.

“Kanshi Ram ji transformed the nature of Indian politics. Through his movements, he raised political awareness among Bahujans and the poor. He reminded them that their vote, voice, and representation are important, and that this country belongs to everyone equally,” Gandhi wrote.

He further stated that Kanshi Ram devoted his life to the poor and downtrodden, while making the political system “more representative and just”.

“For many years, Dalit intellectuals, leaders, and activists have called for Kanshi Ram ji to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. Their demand has been consistent and deeply felt,” Gandhi said, adding that he recently attended a programme in Lucknow where the demand was strongly reiterated by leaders and attendees, reflecting widespread sentiment.

“Conferring the Bharat Ratna on him posthumously would recognise his immense contribution to our nation. It would honour the aspirations of millions of people who continue to view him as a symbol of empowerment and hope,” he added.

Mayawati sees Congress’s Bharat Ratna demand for Kanshi Ram as an attempt to weaken the BSP

BSP supremo Mayawati, however, accused the Congress of never respecting Dalit icons. In a post on X a day before Rahul Gandhi made his letter to the Prime Minister public, demanding Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram, she questioned the party’s intent.

She said that the Congress Party, during its many years in power at the center, never accorded due respect and honor to the messiah of Dalits and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, nor did it bestow upon him the title of ‘Bharat Ratna.’

“So how can this party now honor the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji with this title?” Mayawati asked.

The BSP leader also alleged that when Kanshi Ram passed away, the Congress-led government at the Centre did not declare any national mourning, while the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh also did not announce state mourning.

“It was this very Congress Party, while in power at the center, that did not even declare a single day of national mourning upon the passing of the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji,” she said.

Mayawati accused the Congress and other parties of trying to exploit Kanshi Ram’s legacy and weaken the BSP. She also cautioned the BSP supporters, saying that it was the anti-Dalit mindset of the Congress party that led to the formation of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

“Various parties are constantly employing all sorts of tactics to weaken the BSP party founded by the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji. Therefore, his followers and supporters must remain vigilant, especially against the Congress Party, due to whose anti-Dalit mindset and mentality the BSP had to be created in the first place,” she added.