The High Court of Karnataka on Friday rejected a PIL petition, which had sought a direction to the Prime Minister to consider a representation filed by the petitioner to award Bharat Ratna to the late Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the order on a petition filed by Rehan Khan, resident of Tumakuru.
“We have considered the submission and gone through the records. We are of the considered view that it is in the domain of the Government of India to consider and confer any such award, including Bharat Ratna, to any person. And no person can claim to be awarded any medal of the like nature. Neither any direction can be sought for considering the award of Bharat Ratna to any particular person,” the Bench observed in its order.
