New Delhi, March 15 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to posthumously award the Bharat Ratna to Kanshi Ram, the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), asserting that this would honor the aspirations of millions of people who continue to see him as a symbol of empowerment and hope.
In a letter to Modi, Gandhi said Kanshi Ram transformed the nature of Indian politics and, through his movements, raised political awareness among Bahujans and the poor.
"As we commemorate the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram today and reflect on his legacy and contributions, I write with a request that he be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously," the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said in the letter.
"Kanshi Ramji 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," he added.
Gandhi asserted that because of Kanshi Ram's efforts, many people who had never considered entering public life began to see politics as a means to achieve justice and equality.
"Our Constitution promises equality, dignity, and participation for every Indian. Kanshi Ramji devoted his life to making these promises meaningful for those at the very bottom of society. In doing so, he strengthened the foundations of Indian democracy and made our political system more representative and just," the former Congress president said.
"For many years, Dalit intellectuals, leaders, and activists have called for Kanshi Ramji to be honored with the Bharat Ratna. Their demand has been consistent and deeply felt. Recently, I attended a program in Lucknow where this demand was reiterated strongly by the leaders and participants present, reflecting a widespread sentiment," he said.
Conferring the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram posthumously would recognize his immense contribution to the country, Gandhi said.
"It would honor the aspirations of millions of people who continue to view him as a symbol of empowerment and hope. I hope the government will seriously consider this request," the Congress leader said in his letter to the prime minister.
Sharing his letter on X, Gandhi said, "I demand that the government of India honor the great warrior of social justice and guide of Bahujan consciousness, Honourable Kanshi Ramji, with the Bharat Ratna."
"This highest national honor will be a tribute to Kanshi Ramji and the entire movement that showed crores of Bahujans the path to rights, participation, and self-respect. My letter to @PMOIndia regarding this demand," he said, posting the screenshot of the letter.
Earlier, the Congress hailed Kanshi Ram on his birth anniversary, with Gandhi saying his tireless struggle and dedication to the rights of the poor, Dalits, and the marginalized serve as "an inspiration to us".
Paying tributes to Kanshi Ram, Gandhi claimed that the Constitution is under threat today, and those who ascended to power by swearing an oath on B.R. Ambedkar's Constitution are themselves bent upon undermining it.
"A respectful tribute to the Bahujan icon, Manyavar Kanshi Ramji, on his birth anniversary. His tireless struggle and dedication to the rights of the poor, Dalits, and the marginalized serve as an inspiration to us all," he said in a post in Hindi on X.
"He believed that the Constitution is the true strength of the Dalits, the backward classes, and the deprived. That very Constitution is under threat today -- those who ascended to power by swearing an oath on Babasaheb's Constitution are themselves bent upon undermining it," Gandhi said.
"Without a share in power, justice is impossible -- this is the enduring message of Kanshi Ramji's legacy. This dream of social justice shall not remain unfulfilled. The Congress party has stood and will always stand for the participation, dignity, and constitutional rights of the Bahujan community," the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha asserted.
Earlier this week, Gandhi had said in Lucknow that if Jawaharlal Nehru was alive, Kanshi Ram would have been made a chief minister from the Congress.
Nehru, India's first prime minister, died in 1964, while Kanshi Ram emerged on the political scene with the formation of the backwards-championing BAMCEF in 1978 and later, bolstered his position with the formation of the BSP in 1984.
Speaking at the "Samvidhan Sammelan", the Congress leader said Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, and Kanshi Ram never compromised on their principles.
Meanwhile, BSP chief Mayawati has slammed the Congress, saying it was the grand old party's "anti-Dalit ideology" that had necessitated the formation of the outfit and the national party never accorded due respect to Dalit icon Ambedkar.
In a post on X on Saturday, Mayawati urged BSP workers to remain vigilant against what she claimed were attempts by other political parties, especially the Congress, to use Kanshi Ram's name and weaken the BSP.
"The Congress never gave due honor to Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar -- the messiah of Dalits and the principal architect of the Constitution -- nor did it ever confer upon him the title of Bharat Ratna.... How can the same party now honor Kanshi Ram," she said in her post in Hindi.
The remarks of the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister came a day after a proposal was passed at the "Samvidhan Sammelan" organised by the Congress, stating that the party would confer the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram if voted to power.