New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a PIL seeking the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, for Mahatma Gandhi, saying it was unnecessary since the people already held him in high esteem as the father of the nation and as such, he was beyond any formal recognition.
A bench of Chief Justice Sharad A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant directed petitioner Anil Dutta Sharma to approach the Centre in this regard. Sharma, in his PIL, had sought a direction to the government to give "official decoration" to Mahatma Gandhi, to honour him for the contribution to the nation.
Directing the government to award the Bharat Ratna to the father of the nation was not a ‘justiciable issue,’ the bench said, though it agreed with his sentiments for granting official decoration for Mahatma Gandhi.
Refusing to entertain the PIL, the Court said the issue raised by the petitioner was not a ‘legitimate problem’ that required its directive to the Centre. Disposing of the petition, the top court said, "We will allow you to give a representation to the Centre in this regard."
