I-Padma queue grows,MP asks why not me,writes to PM

Amidst unease and resentment in the political class over the awarding of Padma Bhushan to US-based NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal....

Amidst unease and resentment in the political class over the awarding of Padma Bhushan to US-based NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal,Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka Rajeev Chandrasekhar made a veiled criticism of the UPA government on Twitter for denying him the award.

Instead of choosing public service as an MP,I shdve chosen to be a restaraunter in NY to be recognized by my country!!! : he said on Twitter on January 28 in an apparent reference to Chatwal. The Karnataka government was said to have nominated the leading entrepreneur in telecom sector and founder of BPL Mobile for Padma Bhushan,but as he claimed,he was denied the award on account of being in public service. He is an Independent MP from Karnataka.

Was informed that I was nominated for a Padma Bhushan for my contributions to telecom sector in India,seems the PM said since I am an MP,I shdnt be given a Padma award! Chandrasekhar said on Twitter adding that he should have chosen to be a restaurateur to be recognized by the country. He clarified to The Sunday Express that he had made the remark in jest.

On Saturday,he was learnt to have sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this connection. While Chandrasekhar was understood to have clarified in the letter that he was not hugely disappointed by denial of Padma Bhushan to him,he raised the point of principles in determining the awardees.

Chandrasekhar was understood to have asked whether it was appropriate for the government to deny him the national honour for his contributions before entering the public service. Is it right to deny a national honour to a person just because he is in public service? he was said to have stated in his letter to the PM.

Asked for his reaction to the UPA governments purported decision to deny him the award,he told The Sunday Express,I am not hankering after awards. I just want to raise a point of principles.

Saif defends: no one an n-inventor

NEW DELHI: Saif Ali Khans name in the list of Padma Shri awardees may have raised a few eyebrows but the star says he deserves the honour and will try his best to live up to it. If you look at the awardees over the last couple of years,all of them have not exactly invented a nuclear bomb, the actor told a news channel.

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Saifs being named a Padma Shri had surprised many and sparked protests from the Bishnoi community due to the pending court case against him and Salman Khan for killing two blackbuck.

The 39-year-old star said he was conscious that there were many more people who deserved it more than him. I do agree that there will be a few raised eyebrows because I am relatively younger and perhaps there are more deserving people out there, said the actor.

PTI