Guwahati, July 10 -- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has joined a growing chorus of parliamentarians demanding the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for the Dalai Lama.

He announced that he plans to formally recommend the Tibetan spiritual leader's name to the central government.

In an interview with an agency on Tuesday, Khandu, who is himself a follower of Buddhism, highlighted the Dalai Lama's deep historical and spiritual connection with India.

He credited the Dalai Lama with reviving and spreading the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism, originally rooted in India, across the Tibetan plateau and Himalayan belt.

"Back in the 8th century, scholars from Nalanda University traveled to Tibet, where the Bon religion ...