New Delhi: The Supreme Court refused to entertain Friday a PIL seeking conferment of ‘Bharat Ratna’ on Mahatma Gandhi. The apex court said that the people hold the father of the nation in ‘high esteem’, beyond any formal recognition.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, however asked petitioner Anil Dutta Sharma to give representation to the central government in this regard.
“Mahatma Gandhi is the father of nation and people hold him in high esteem, beyond any formal recognition,” the bench said.
The issue of directing the government to award ‘Bharat Ratna’ to the ‘Father of the Nation’ was not a ‘justiciable issue’, it said.
The bench however said that it agreed with the sentiments of the petitioner for granting official decoration to Mahatma Gandhi.
Disposing of the petition, the top court said, “We will allow you to give a representation to 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.
Agencies