Prez requested to have Bharat Ratna conferred on Netaji

Raipur, Sep 29 (UNI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has received a request from Chhattisgarh's Netaji Subhas Manch that a Bharat Ratna be conferred posthumously on Netaji.

During the President's ongoing two-day visit to this state, Manch Convenor Shailendra Tiwari led a delegation to the Raj Bhavan yesterday.

The delegation also urged Ms Patil to help in bringing out the truth behind Netaji's death, develop his birthplace in Cuttack and Jabalpur Jail where he was incarcerated for long.

Expressing concern over adequate respect not being given to freedom-fighters Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, the delegates felt that Netaji's birth anniversary should be a national holiday and added that Azad's place of martyrdom at Allahabad be converted into a research institute.

UNI AS-AC 1802