Jeetan Ram Manjhi demands Bharat Ratna for late Union Minister

Hindustani Awam Morcha (WE) President Jeetan Ram Manjhi has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding conferring Bharat Ratna on late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Union Minister and founder of Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswan merged into the five elements on Saturday. The last rites of the late Ram Vilas were performed with full state honours at Digha Ghat in Patna.

Manjhi, himself a Dalit leader who suspended his all poll-related engagements in Gaya to pay tribute to Paswan in Patna, told reporters that he was demanding Bharat Ratna for Paswan so that future generations could be told about him and his services for the upliftment of the downtrodden.

Before Manjhi, Prem Kumar, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a minister in the Bihar government, also tweeted a tribute to the late Ram Vilas Paswan and demanded the Bharat Ratna to be given to him by the central government. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been assigned additional charge of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, following the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan, reports ANI.

Piyush Goyal is currently serving as Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Central government.