Summary:
Bengaluru, Apr 1 (PTI) The High Court of Karnataka on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation which sought a direction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer Bharat Ratna on the late Shivakumara Swamiji of the Siddaganga Math in Tumakuru district.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S R Krishna Kumar dismissed the petition by one Rehan Khan, holding that such a direction can be issued only when the petitioner enjoys such a right.
But in this case, no such right is enjoyed by the petitioner to seek such a direction.
The HC said it is the Union government which has the powers to confer Bharat Ratna and other national civilian awards.
No individual enjoys any such power to grant the honours and therefore does not have the right to seek such a direction.
The petitioner"s advocate Mohammed Tahir had argued that the Union government had established the Bharat Ratna in 1954 to recognise exceptional contribution in the fields of arts, science and public service.