HYDERABAD: Veteran Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Saturday requested Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to recommend India’s highest civilian honour — Bharat Ratna — for prominent social reformer, thinker and writer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. He also urged the government to give tax exemption to Phule, the biopic of the 19th century reformer.
In a letter addressed to the CM, Hanumantha Rao noted that Phule encouraged women’s education and fought against discrimination and suppression of downtrodden communities. He said that Phule fought against the practice of tonsuring the heads of widows.
“You are well aware that a similar concept (social justice) is being adopted by our beloved leader, Rahul Gandhi Ji, who has taken up Bharat Jodo Yatra wherein he stressed the need for Kitni Hissidari Utne Bhagidari. Rahul, while following the ideologies of Phule, is striving to bring about this major change in present-day society,” he said.