Seetha Mahalakshmi demands Bharat Ratna for designer of Nationl Flag

Hyderabad, Feb 2 (UNI) Ghantasala Seetha Mahalakshmi, the sole survivor or Pingali Venkaiah's immediate family, had demanded the Centre to award 'Bharat Ratna', the highest national award, to her father who had designed Indian National Flag.

Seetha Mahalakshmi (86) speaking to UNI said this was the only way to honour not only her father but the designer of the National Flag.

She was born in 1922, a year after her father designed the tri-colour flag that was handed over to Mahatma Gandhi at Congress Working Committee in Vijayawada.

Later, at the Karachi Session the flag was adopted with slight modifications including Dharma Chakra of Saranath, she said.

With the initiative of Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajgopal a huge awareness programme 'Tiranga Run' would be organised here tomorrow.

UNI XR GKT 2311