HM to reconsider Padma awards to Dhoni and Bhajji

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New Delhi, Apr 22: In the wake of the controversy stirred by the Harbhajan Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni not receiving the National Padma awards in person, the Sports Ministry has issued a circular making it mandatory for all sportsperson to be present in person while receiving the sports awards.

The Sports Ministry has written to the Home Ministry to make the necessary changes in the guidelines of the Padma Awards. The other sports awards to which this new rule applies to are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dhronacharya Award and Dhyan Chand Award.

The Sports Ministry has made it clear that if the sportsperson fail to follow this, the awards will be withdrawn without any prior intimation.

The Home Ministry is presently reconsidering if the Padma awards should be conferred on the two cricket stars or not.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh and Dhoni failed to attend the Padma Award ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and did not provide any valid reasons for the absence.

OneIndia News