Haridwar: Yog Guru Ramdev has appealed to the Centre to confer the highest civilian decoration, the Bharat Ratna to a ‘sanyasi’ or saint next year.
Speaking to media here on the occasion of the 70th Republic Day on Saturday, Ramdev said: “It is very unfortunate that in the last 70 years, not even one sanyasi has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, be it Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda ji or Shivakumara Swami. I request the Centre to grant Bharat Ratna to a sanyasi in the next year.”
The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award accorded in India.
This year, former President Pranab Mukherjee, late legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika, and late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh were the recipients of the coveted honour.
A number of politicos in Karnataka, including former chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara had raised a demand for late Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumara Swami to be granted a Bharat Ratna.
Shivakumara Swami breathed his last at 11.44 am on Monday. He was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after an operation on December 8.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]