HC rejects plea for awarding Bharat Ratna to Siddaganga seer

‘It’s in the domain of Government of India to consider and confer any such award, including Bharat Ratna”

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday rejected a PIL petition, which had sought a direction to the Prime Minister to consider a representation filed by the petitioner to award Bharat Ratna to the late Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the order on a petition filed by Rehan Khan, resident of Tumakuru.

“We have considered the submission and gone through the records. We are of the considered view that it is in the domain of the Government of India to consider and confer any such award, including Bharat Ratna, to any person. And no person can claim to be awarded any medal of the like nature. Neither any direction can be sought for considering the award of Bharat Ratna to any particular person,” the Bench observed in its order.

The Bench also pointed out that the award of Bharat Ratna is a recognition of exceptional services rendered by individual persons which is to be determined by the President of India in consultation with the Government of India and the body concerned.

The Bench termed the petition as “misconceived” one while pointing out that no direction can be issued to the Prime Minister to consider the representation of the petitioner as it [representation] does not confer any right upon the petitioner.

In a lighter vein, the Bench told the petitioner’s advocate that as per Thursday’s newspaper reports the Union Home Minister was in the city and the petitioner could make a representation to the Home Minister. However, the petitioner’s advocate replied that it is only the Prime Minister who could consider the representation.