New Delhi: Against the backdrop of US-based
hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal getting a Padma Bhushan, Congress on Tuesday said these awards should be given to people who enhance its prestige and not to those with a "taint".
"We are not talking of any specific case. But these
awards should be given to people who enhance its prestige and not to those who have a taint," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said when asked about the row over the selection of Chatwal, who was earlier chargesheeted by the CBI in a fraud case.
"The award should be given to people whose integrity is
not doubtful," Ahmed said.
BJP Deputy Leader of the Opposition Gopinath Munde has
written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding
that the award to Chatwal be taken back. He argued that due to Chatwal's alleged controversial financial dealings, he did not
deserve the honour.
"The Padma awards are decided by the Home Ministry after
a due process. They might have their reasons for it. Only the
Ministry could explain it," the Congress spokesman said.
He said for these awards, names come from various state
governments and other quarters to the Home Ministry. "These
are assessed and then shortlisted," he said.
Chatwal, who is considered close to former US President
Bill Clinton and his wife and US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, was earlier chargesheeted by the CBI in an alleged
USD 9 million fraud case.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 18:45