BJP veteran Shanta Kumar, on Wednesday, wrote to PM Narendra Modi and urged him that Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, be conferred Bharat Ratna

New Delhi: BJP veteran Shanta Kumar, on Wednesday, wrote to PM Narendra Modi and urged him that Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, be conferred Bharat Ratna. In his letter, the former Himachal Pradesh chief minister said that by honouring the Dalai Lama with the highest civilian award, India will be honouring itself.

Batting for raising the Tibet issue in the United Nations, Kumar slammed the Congress party and said that the then Congress government "committed a sin" in 1950 when China was allowed to take over Tibet. Today, China has been isolated in the world," he said, adding that conferring Bharat Ratna upon Dalai Lama is a golden opportunity to correct the mistake committed in the past.

"With India taking these two steps of honouring the Dalai Lama and raising the Tibet issue in the UN, China will be completely exposed in the world," he said.

Earlier today, the Tibetan leader congratulated Nitish Kumar for the victory in Bihar. "I would also like to thank you for your support and encouragement of my efforts to promote a revival of interest in ancient Indian thought so vividly expressed in the historic Nalanda Tradition, which is like the sun shining in the East. As you know, India's longstanding philosophy of karuna and the conduct that flows from it, ahimsa, sets an example to the rest of the world," Dalai Lama said.

In a letter addressed to the Janata Dal (United) chief, he also appreciated the hospitality shown by the Bihar government during his visit to Bodh Gaya.