Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today said that there is a committee to look into the recommendation for giving civilian awards, and the issue must not be raised in public.
New Delhi, Jan 10 : Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today said that there is a committee to look into the recommendation for giving civilian awards, and the issue must not be raised in public.
"It's the ultimate wisdom of the government at the end of the day to decide, how the decoration should be placed to whom. It should not be exchange of letter or bargain," Dasmunsi told reporters here.
"There is a appropriate committee to examine the merit," he added
Dasmunsi statement's assumes significance as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministerial designate L K Advani had urged the Centre to give Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister and BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Advani built a strong case for the top civilian honour to be conferred on Vajpayee.
"I would like to propose the name of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee for recognition with Bharat Ratna this year. His contribution to our national life is so varied and well-known, and sustained over such a long period, that it bears no reiteration," Advani said in his letter to the PM, which he sent last Saturday.
ANI