Telangana State Planning Board Vice-Chairman Boinapalli Vinod Kumar today demanded that social reformer Jyotiba Phule be conferred upon the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, post-humously.
Speaking at a program after participating in the 197th birth anniversary celebrations of Phule at Satavahana University in Karimnagar, Kumar said that Phule was remembered as a great social reformer and a champion of women's education in India.
He said that Phule had dedicated his entire life for the upliftment of the down-trodden and the eradication of untouchability, and had strived for equal rights for all.
The BRS leader also pointed out that even when he was a member of the Lok Sabha, he had demanded that the union government confer the Bharat Ratna upon Phule, and that leaders from Maharashtra had appreciated him for raising the issue.
filed in:Telangana, B Vinod Kumar, Awards, Bharat Ratna