Confer Bharat Ratna on Devaraj Urs, says K'taka Deputy CM

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Sivakumar on Wednesday demanded that Bharat Ratna should be conferred on former Chief Minister late D Devaraj Urs who was the voice of the downtrodden communities in the state.

Welcoming the decision to award Bharat Ratna posthumously to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur, he also expressed his opinion that Devaraj Urs should also be given the same award.

''The Kannadigas demand that D Devaraj Urs be awarded the Bharat Ratna as he made an immense contribution to the welfare of the Dalits in Karnataka. The Centre should consider the demand,'' he said in a statement.