Govt snub for Sharad Yadav’s Padma pick provoked outburst

JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who made a controversial statement that Padma awards are given to “dishonest” people, had himself recommended the name of a Gurgaon-based doctor for the coveted honour in 2014. According to a Home Ministry document, Yadav, then a Lok Sabha member, recommended the name of Balraj Singh Yadav for the Padma award last year. When asked about it, Sharad Yadav told PTI that he might have recommended someone’s name as he keeps doing so regularly.

“There is no contradiction in what I have said and what I have recommended,” he said.

Yadav claimed that he was misquoted on the issue. “I have said that the ‘process of Padma award selection is dishonest’ as there is no transparency.

“Dalits, tribals and farmers are often ignored for Padma awards,” he said.Yadav reportedly said at a meeting in Mumbai on Friday that the Padma awards are given only to those people who are “dishonest”.“These are given only to people from high echelons of society,” he said.