New Delhi, Jan 14: Alleging that both the BJP and the BSP had indulged into petty party politics by recommending Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Kanshi Ram’s names, respectively, for Bharat Ratna, Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan today said that the names of Mahatma Phule, Babu Jagjivan Ram and singer Mohammad Rafi should be considered for the country’s top civilian award.

Paswan said that the award should be decided after rising above the party lines, that’s why he has come out with the three names who were never affiliated to his party, and nor he will be benefited politically if any one them gets it.

Vouching for Mahatma Phule’s name, Paswan said that even after coming from a Dalit and poor background, he did a lot for the upliftment of the destitute and downtrodden, and worked tirelessly for educating the women.

Then, Paswan said if the award was to be conferred on to a political person, Babu Jagjivan Ram would be his first choice, because, in his words, Babuji’s work for those belonging to the Dalit or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was "unparalleled".

On this occasion, he said that Babuji’s case should not be compared with Kanshi Ram, who, he said, was affiliated to BSP and had no political influence outside Uttar Pradesh.

Paswan said that if the award is to be given to someone from the arts and film world, then he would vouch for Mohammad Rafi. He said in 2001 Lata Mangeshkar was conferred the award, so now the award should go to Rafi, because his contribution as a singer was "equivalent" to Lata.

In his opinion, it is better to confer the top award posthumously because, he said, after a person dies a rap up of all his deeds throughout his life, until his death, is available".

He added that in case the award is conferred to a live person, there always remains a risk that after receiving the award the concerned person much commit any such deed which is contrary to the noble deeds required for winning the award.

Incidentally, all the three names proposed by Paswan are posthumous. (ANI)