NCP(SP) MPs meet PM Modi, seek Bharat Ratna for Phules, Sathe and Tukadoji Maharaj, raise Maharashtra issues

New Delhi: NCP(SP) MPs, led by Supriya Sule, on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised a set of Maharashtra-specific demands, including a proposal to confer the Bharat Ratna on social reformers Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule, Annabhau Sathe and Tukadoji Maharaj.

"Since parliamentary proceedings are not running smoothly, it was necessary to bring the pending issues of the public and our constituencies directly to the prime minister's attention," Sule said, maintaining that the meeting was not political.

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Talking to ET, Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane said he demanded an increase in the quota of financial assistance available to MPs under the PM CARES Fund for the treatment of serious illnesses. The drought situation in Beed was also raised, with MPs seeking immediate relief measures, including the release of water from Ujani dam into the Manjara river system.