Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on Pingali Venkaiah, designer of the Indian National Flag.
In a letter, Mr. Hanumantha Rao welcomed the Union government’s decision to organise Tiranga rallies across the country on August 14 as part of Independence Day celebrations. However, he said the contribution of Pingali Venkaiah to the freedom movement had not received due recognition.
Recalling that Venkaiah designed the national flag in 1921, Mr. Hanumantha Rao noted that Mahatma Gandhi had endorsed the design. He said honouring Venkaiah with the country’s highest civilian award would be a fitting tribute to his service to the nation and his enduring contribution to India’s freedom struggle.
The Congress leader urged the Prime Minister to take steps to confer the Bharat Ratna on the freedom fighter and flag designer.
Published – August 11, 2026 08:41 pm IST
