Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has urged the government to confer the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram, the Dalit icon and founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), describing him as a “symbol of empowerment and hope.”
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary, Mr. Gandhi credited him with strengthening the foundations of Indian democracy. This is not the first time he has made such a demand.
At a public meeting in Lucknow on Friday (March 13, 2026), where he had claimed that had India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru been alive, Kanshi Ram would have become a Congress Chief Minister, the party had made similar demand. The Congress’s new found attention on Kanshi Ram, who died in 2006, has irked BSP supremo Mayawati, who cautioned her voters and cadres to be alert to what she described as attempts to appropriate Kanshi Ram’s legacy.
In his letter to Mr. Modi, Mr. Gandhi said Kanshi Ram transformed the nature of Indian politics. “Through his movements, he raised political awareness among Bahujans and the poor. He reminded them that their vote, voice, and representation are important, and that this country belongs to everyone equally,” he wrote. Kanshi Ram’s efforts, he added, paved the way for many who had never considered entering public life to see politics as a means to achieve justice and equality.
“Our Constitution promises equality, dignity, and participation for every Indian. Kanshi Ram ji devoted his life to making these promises meaningful for those at the very bottom of society. In doing so, he strengthened the foundations of Indian democracy and made our political system more representative and just,” Mr. Gandhi said, noting that this demand has been consistently raised for several years.
“Conferring the Bharat Ratna on him posthumously would recognise his immense contribution to our nation. It would honour the aspirations of millions who continue to view him as a symbol of empowerment and hope,” he added.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Kanshi Ram’s contribution to the struggle for social justice and equality would remain an inspiration.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described Kanshi Ram as a social justice hero and a fierce voice for deprived and exploited communities, adding that his “ideas will forever continue to inspire us all.”
