BENGALURU:
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday requested Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to recommend the name of
Sivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganaga mutt for '
Bharat Ratna' posthumously.
Shivakumara Swamiji, the 111-year-old head of the Siddaganga Mutt, known as the 'Walking God', died on January 21 this year after prolonged illness.
In a letter to Modi, Kumaraswamy said Swamiji's service to the people deserves recognition at the highest level through the award of Bharat Ratna.
Several memoranda have been received from political parties and civilians, institutions and associations, for conferring the 'Bharat Ratna' on the seer, he said and urged the prime minister to recommend the seer's name for the country's highest civilian honour posthumously.