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Consent for Padma awards not taken from Siddheshwar Swamy

Kashmir Times. Dated: 2/8/2018 12:24:30 AM

Dear Editor,
Prime Minister in his 40th edition of Man-ki-Baat on 28.01.2018 talked about conferring prestigious Padma awards during his last three years of regime being given without lobbying. It seems so apparently. But list of Padma awards for the year 2018 is said to have included a person whose name according to Hindi magazine Dialogue India (February 2012) was rejected in the year 2012 for alleged notoriety. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) should search records of complete selection-procedure for the year 2012 to find the truth by matching the then rejected ones with those nominated now in the year 2018. In case report is found true, then the said nominated person should not be conferred with the national honour, apart from instituting an enquiry how the name was cleared by intelligence authorioties.
Ever since governments in earlier years faced embarrassment because of some nominated persons refusing to accept Padma awards, practice was established to seek prior consent of nominated persons for their accepting the honours before announcement is made on Republic Day eve. But humble declining of Padma award 2018 by spiritual guru Siddheshwar Swamy indicates that the practice was not followed at least in his case. MHA should make enquiry, and correct the system so that no such declining of Padma awards may be feasible in years to come.
—Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk Delhi.