Confer Bharat Ratna on veteran socialist leaders; RS MPs

A demand was made in Rajya Sabha to confer the nation's highest civilian award 'Bharat Ratna' on veteran socialist leaders like Acharya Narendra Deo, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaiprakash Narayan.
Demands were also made to refrain the government from making any significant announcement outside Parliament when it is in session.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Naresh Agarwal (SP) said everybody is duty bound to respect the ruling of the Chair.
He said the Chair had said that if government has to make some significant announcement, it should be done in Parliament when House is in the session but the government has taken a decision about Bharat Ratna and given the information to newspapers.

"If this announcement was to be made, it should have been made in Parliament when the House is in session," he said and demanded that names of socialist leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, Acharya Narendra Deo and Jaiprakash Narayan should be included in the list of Bharat Ratna.
Jaiprakash Narayan, however, has already been conferred with Bharat Ratna.

Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), however, remarked, "If we go back in history, then the government should consider starting from Gautam Buddha."
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said if Agarwal felt that the government has "violated norms" (by making announcement outside Parliament), he could always give notice.

"The Chair cannot comment on the basis of newspaper reports," he said.
The demand for Bharat Ratna to socialist leaders came in the wake of speculation that Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose may be named for the highest civilian award.