Padma Vibhushan to Mulayam a mockery of his stature, contributions: SP leader

The government has made a mockery of Mulayam Singh Yadav's stature and contributions by conferring the Padma Vibhushan on him, Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya said on Thursday, demanding the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna for him.

Yadav was on Wednesday posthumously conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honour.

Reacting to the award, SP MLA Maurya tweeted in Hindi, "By giving Padma Vibhushan posthumously to Netaji Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Government of India has made a mockery of Netaji's stature, work and contributions to the nation. If Netaji had to be respected then he should have been honoured with Bharat Ratna." Similar views were expressed by party spokesperson I P Singh.

"Except the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, no other honour befits the son of the soil, Late Mulayam Singh Yadav. An announcement should be made to give Bharat Ratna to our respected Netaji without any delay," Singh tweeted.

Yadav, the Samajwadi Party founder and three-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister, died on October 10 last year.