Maharashtra Congress leader Mohammad Arif Naseem Khan has written to President Droupadi Murmu demanding that the country`s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna should be posthumously conferred on Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away last month.

He said in a letter that the late Samajwadi Party leader understood the pain of the deprived sections for whom he struggled. "The entire country mourned the demise of the Samajwadi Party leader. I request that he should be conferred Bharat Ratna in recognition of feelings of crores of people who hailed him," said Khan, working president of Maharashtra Congress.