Ilaiyaraaja deserves Bharat Ratna: VCK MP

Chennai, July 7 (IANS) Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder leader and Member of Parliament, Thol Thirumavalavan has said that music maestro Ilaiyaraaja has all the qualities to be bestowed the country's highest civilian award, 'Bharat Ratna'.

The VCK leader in a statement congratulating Ilaiyaraaja on his nomination as a Rajya Sabha MP, said that the legend be included in the union government as Minister for Culture.

Musician and Tamil music director Ilaiyaraaja was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Greetings poured in from all corners for the music mastero on his nomination as a member of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his congratulation message through microblogging site Twitter said, "Ilaiyaraaja's music has regaled people across many generations. He has expressed many emotions through his music. His life just like his music is an inspiring one. He has achieved great things coming from a humble background."

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi while congratulating the music legend in his message said, "Extraordinary musical genius and inspiration life journey of Thiru Ilaiyaraaja have inspired and continue to inspire generations."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Puducherry and Telangana Lt Governor Tamilisai Sounderrajan, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and PMK president and former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss greeted Ilaiyaraaja.

Ilaiyaraaja has composed over 7000 songs in around 1000 movies and is a recipient of Padmabhushan Aand Padmavibhushan awards.

Ilaiyaraaja's close friends, director Bharathiraja, and actor Rajinikanth also greeted him on his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

Sivaji Ganesan, Vaijyantimala Bali, and Cho Ramaswamy were earlier nominated from Tamil film industry to the Rajya Sabha.

Ilaiyaraaja had raked controversy from a section of the people after he wrote the foreword for the book, 'Ambedkar and Modi: Reformers Idea, Performers Implementation'. In this book, he compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dr B.R. Ambedkar which drew criticism from several sections of people across the nation.