The government rejected proposals to confer Padma awards to a clutch of prominent personalities, including cricketer MS Dhoni, controversial spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, the Indian Express reported on Monday. Officials told the Indian Express that the two were awarded under the “public affairs” category, which falls under the government’s discretion, but didn’t mention who nominated them. The Padma awards are expected to be conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan later this year. This year, President Pranab Mukherjee approved Padma awards for 89 recipients, including seven Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri awards. The Indian Express said the maximum nominations were received for Singh, the controversial chief of the influential Dera Sacha Sauda who has also starred in three movies.

Source: Hindustan Times March 27, 2017 05:17 UTC