Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi (SP)

New Delhi, Jan 27: Several leaders have criticized the union government for choosing Sant Singh Chatwal, a USA-based NRI hotellier, for the Padma Bhushan award. The opposition BJP has smelled of an opportunity to floor the Congress Party on this issue, charging it with making the selection on the basis of issues other than the achievements, integrity and national interests. Deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde, has already written a letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to call back the award conferred on Singh.

The BJP says, Chatwal does not fit the bill for the award, as he was recently charged and arrested, relating to a nine million dollars bank fraud case.

Congress party spokesperson, Shakeel Ahmed, said that the home ministry considers names and picks the persons after following certain procedures and processes. Hence, only the home department would be able to say how he was selected, he argued, admitting that these awards cannot be given to people with tainted or dubious records. Human resources minister, Kapil Sibal, also wanted to wash his hands off the fiasco, by taking the stand that it is the home ministry that follows processes and selects persons for Padma awards.

Chatwal in the meantime, rubbished the charges and said that he is thrilled by the award. “Even though I got information about the award from Indian ambassador in USA, Meera Shankar, last week, I was notified officially on Monday. I am grateful to the government for selecting me,” he explained.

It may be recalled that Chatwal had visited India to ‘facilitate’ US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton’s visit to India recently. He had been under the CBI’s scanner for the alleged fraud.