New Delhi,Jan. 26: The Congress on Tuesday said awards like the Padma Bhushan should be given to people who add to its prestige, and not to those with a taint, even as the latest recipient, US-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, remained unfazed in the face of the controversy over his award.
"We are not talking of any specific case. But these awards should be given to people who enhance its prestige and not to those with a taint," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said Tuesday.
The controversy erupted after BJP deputy leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde wrote to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday to ask that the Padma Bhushan to Mr Chatwal be taken back due to his past. Clarifying the government position, a top official in the Union home ministry said that Mr Chatwal was a free man as all charges against him had been dropped. "There is no rethink on the issue," said the MHA official.
On his part, Mr Chatwal downplayed the controversy and said he was grateful to the Indian government for recognising his contribution to strengthening Indo-US ties. Mr Chatwal, who is considered close to former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, current US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, said, "I have really no idea about the BJP’s objection. I love my country. I don’t care for the political parties. They will come and go."
Mr Chatwal was earlier chargesheeted by the CBI in a case involving allegations of a $9 million fraud connected with the State Bank of India. The US-based hotelier had allegedly defaulted on paying back the money he owed to the bank. The CBI investigated the case on the basis of a complaint by the SBI chief vigilance officer that some of its officials had allegedly conspired with the businessman in 1994 to extend loans for which there was no collateral. The agency filed the chargesheet against Mr Chatwal, who was arrested in Mumbai but got bail and left the country. The US-based hotelier was acquitted in one of the four cases in 2008 but since the director of prosecution of the CBI opposed an appeal in the matter, the case was closed, said sources.
Age Correspondent