JAMMU, JANUARY 27: Senior Congress leader Dr Karan Singh on Thursday came out in support of his party colleague and former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying that he was “distressed at the unseemly controversy over the well deserved Padma Award to my good friend’’.
These national awards should not become a subject of inter-party controversy, far less of intra-party ones, the veteran Congress leader said, adding “I have known Ghulam Nabi for half a century since he first started his political career as an active participant in my second election campaign for the Lok Sabha in 1971 from Udhampur constituency, to which he belongs. Since then I have seen him rise through sheer dint of hard work, dedication and administrative ability to becoming a cabinet minister, both with Shri P V Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh.’’
Pointing out that he played a “positive and constructive role’’ in the Parliamentary system during his seven year stint as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Karan Singh said earlier he became first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from Jammu, and his short stint is still remembered positively in both the regions.
“If one of our colleagues is honoured he should be greeted with warm appreciation rather than snide remarks,’’ he said in a statement issued here.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was on Republic Day eve conferred Padma Bhushan for his contribution in the field of public affairs. However, it evoked mixed reaction from the party.
While senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily described PM Narendra Modi Government’s decision to confer Padma Bhushan on Ghulam Nabi Azad a political one and not based on merit and he should not accept it, another party leader Jairam Ramesh compared Azad’z acceptance of the award to its rejection by former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee saying “Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam’’.
Senior Congress leaders including Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma and Shashi Tharoor, who form part of G-23, however, showered praises on Azad.