Mittal demands Bharat Ratna for Lala Lajpat Rai

MOGA: Punjab industries minister Madan Mohan Mittal demanded the Bharat Ratna be conferred upon freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai posthumously on his 150th death anniversary that will be observed on January 28, 2016. Mittal said that he would soon approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the request regarding it. Modi is expected to visit Dhudike village - the birthplace of Lala Lajpat Rai - in Moga district on January 28 to pay tributes to the freedom fighter.
Two and a half months ago, Dhudike had become first digital village of Punjab due to intervention of Modi. On Monday, Mittal led a delegation of the International Vaish Federation to Dhudike and paid tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai.
Mittal said, "Lala ji made supreme sacrifice for India's independence, which paved the way for more martyrs, especially Bhagat Singh, to jump into the freedom struggle. I will soon meet the PM and request him to confer Bharat Ratna on Lala Lajpat Rai in recognition of his services."
Then PMs Lal Bahadur Shastri and Chandra Shekhar had visited Dhudike in 1965 and 1991 on 100th and 125th anniversary of the martyr.
Meanwhile, a team of Lala Lajpat Rai Birthplace Memorial Committee reached New Delhi on Monday to meet Union culture ministry officials to extend formal invitation to PM to come to Dhudike on January 28. "The cultural ministry has announced to give grant of Rs 50 lakh to the committee for observing the birth anniversary and carry out developmental projects at his birthplace," committee secretary Ranjit Singh Dhanna told TOI from Delhi.
Punjab agriculture minister Tota Singh and the federation president Ram Dass Aggarwal and general secretary Babu Ram Gupta also accompanied Mittal and paid their tributes to Lalaji.