Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Wants Bharat Ratna for SP Balasubrahmanyam, Kamal Haasan Supports Him

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the Bharat Ratna on late music maestro SP Balasubrahmanyam, who passed away on September 25 in Chennai after a battle with the deadly coronavirus.

“Our state of Andhra Pradesh is fortunate for being the birthplace of great music maestro SP Balasubrahmanyam whose untimely demise not only caused distress to his fans in India but has also affected the international music fraternity. His popularity can be gauged by the continuous flow of rich tributes from music aficionados all over the world,” Jagan said.

Calling SPB’s achievements unparalleled, Jagan briefly mentioned the awards and titles acquired by the legendary singer in a career spanning over five decades.

“Music stalwarts like Lata Mangeshkar, Bhupen Hazarika, MS Subbulakshmi, and Bhimsen Joshi have been conferred the Bharat Ratna by the Government of India, I request you to do the same with SP Balasubrahmanyam, giving the highest recognition to his remarkable work which lasted for 5 decades and stays in our memory forever,” Jagan added.

Jagan’s letter to the Prime Minister comes amid a growing chorus from fans and celebrities alike demanding the highest civilian honour for the late singer. Southern actor Arjun and The Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali have also appealed to the centre to give a befitting honour to the contributions made by SPB.

Actor Kamal Haasan has thanked Reddy for raising the request. He tweeted, “Thank you Honourable CM of Andhra Pradesh. @AndhraPradeshCM. The honour you seek for our brother Shri.S.P.Balasubramaniam is a sentiment which true fans of his voice will echo, not only in Tamilnadu but throughout the whole nation.”