'Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati should get Bharat Ratna,' demands ex-Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat has demanded the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government to give Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. Rawat has advocated the award of Bharat Ratna to BSP chief Mayawati along with Sonia Gandhi this year.

'Sonia & Mayawati are strong political personalities'

Taking to social media on Wednesday, Rawat said that both the leaders -- BSP chief and Congress interim president -- are "strong political personalities."

"Both Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati are eminent politicians. One may agree or disagree with Sonia Gandhi’s politics but can’t deny her tremendous contribution to woman empowerment and public service. Today, she is considered as an admirable image of womanhood in India,” said Rawat in a tweet in Hindi. 

In another tweet, he said that Mayawati has raised the voice of the oppressed and the exploited, apart from instilling a sense of belief in them. "The government of India should honour them by conferring Bharat Ratna to both this year," he said.

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He tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress party, Mayawati, and Rahul Gandhi in his tweet. According to an ANI report, several Congress leaders were surprised over this demand and its timing. Rawat's demand to present Bharat Ratna to Sonia is understandable, but advocating the same demand for Mayawati has raised many questions. In fact, in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi is trying to surround Mayawati in every way.

Recently, Priyanka had even accused the BSP supremo of being an undisclosed spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and presently Congress General Secretary Rawat is also the Punjab in-charge of the party.

Last month, he had asserted that there is no rift between the old and young leaders in the party and "respecting" the views of the "dissenting" leaders, the process to elect their next president has been started.

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(With ANI inputs)