Dalai Lama should be conferred Bharat Ratna: BJP leader Shanta Kumar writes to PM

BJP veteran Shanta Kumar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him that Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, be conferred the Bharat Ratna.

In his letter, the former Himachal Pradesh chief minister has also batted for raising the Tibet issue in the United Nations.

By honouring the Dalai Lama with the highest civilian award, India will be honouring itself, Kumar said.

He said the then Congress government "committed a sin" in 1950 when China was allowed to take over Tibet.

"Today, China has been isolated in the world," Shanta said, adding it is a golden opportunity to correct the terrible mistake of 1950.

“With India taking these two steps of honouring the Dalai Lama and raising the Tibet issue in the UN, China will be completely exposed in the world,” the BJP leader said.