Distressed, says J&K ex-Guv Karan Singh on award row

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New Delhi, January 27

Differences surfaced within the Congress over the selection of veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad for Padma Bhushan, with former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Karan Singh on Thursday terming the controversy distressing.

Padma to azad

• J&K ex-Governor Karan Singh, ex-ministers Ashwani Kumar, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda hailed the award to Azad
• In contrast, senior leader and MP Jairam Ramesh has expressed his disapproval of the move
• Ramesh cited example of WB ex-CM rejecting the award

“I am distressed at the unseemly controversy over the well-deserved Padma award to my good friend Azad. Such awards should not become a subject of inter-party controversy, far less of intra-party ones,” Karan Singh said, two days after Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha took a swipe at the former Leader of Opposition in the Upper House.

“Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam,” party MP Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday tagging reports of former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee declining the Padma Bhushan. Karan Singh, former ministers Ashwani Kumar, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and Kapil Sibal and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda hailed the award to Azad.

Karan Singh said, “If one of our colleagues is honored he should be greeted with appreciation rather than snide remarks.” He said he had known Azad for 50 years since Azad started his

political career as an active participant in his second election campaign for the Lok Sabha in 1971 from the Udhampur constituency, to which he belonged.

“These awards should be recognised for what they are and should not be viewed from the perspective of which party is conferring the award on whom,” Ashwani Kumar said, even as Kapil Sibal said it was ironic that the Congress did not need Azad’s services when the nation recognised his contributions to public life.