'Give Bharat Ratna to Bhagat Singh': Congress Leader Manish Tewari Writes To PM Modi

Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Tewari said Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev inspired an entire generation of patriots by their unrelenting resistance to British Imperialism.

"I would like to draw your kind attention towards the fact that Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev inspired an entire generation of patriots by their unrelenting resistance to British Imperialism and later their supreme sacrifice on the 23rd of March, 1931," he stated in the letter dated October 25.

"If on 26th of January, 2020 all three of them are honoured with the "Bharat Ratna". They are formally conferred with the honorific of "Shaheed-E-Azam. The Chandigarh Airport located in Mohali is named as Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh Airport, Chandigarh (Mohali). This gesture would touch the hearts and souls of 124 crore Indians," it read.

Earlier, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also vouched to confer Bharat Ratna to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Commenting on the recent controversy over whether Veer Savarkar should be awarded Bharat Ratna, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi had said that the honour should be instead bestowed upon the likes of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Owaisi had said, "If you really want to give Bharat Ratna then give to freedom fighters like Sukhdev, Rajguru and Bhagat Singh." 
"Our opposition is against Veer Savarkar because as per Kapoor Commission report, he was the conspirator in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. How can the conspirator of Father of the nation's murder be granted Bharat Ratna?", he added.

The AIMIM President further stated that Sawarkar was the first proponent of the 'two-nation theory'.

"Savarkar was the first proponent of the 'two-nation' theory which was later taken up by Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Moreover, the Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim league did not even support Quit India movement," he said.