Mumbai: The Bombay high court has dismissed a petition seeking revokation of the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister (late) Morarji Desai.

The petitioner, advocate Janardan Jaiswal, said that the Desai should not have been awarded Bharat Ratna as he never bestowed the “Padma” awards on anyone during his tenure as PM. The court imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on advocate Jaiswal for filing a “frivolous” petition.

A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre dismissed the petition seeking direction to the government to withdraw Mr Desai’s Bharat Ratna.

The country’s highest civilian honour was conferred on Desai in 1991.

“This is the most frivolous petition. We do not wish to comment anything on this. Such petitions are not expected from members of the bar,” the court said. The judges directed advocate Jaiswal to deposit `50,000 in the account of the high court’s legal aid services cell.

The petition claimed that Desai, in his autobiography, made some controversial remarks about the government conferring awards such as the Bharat Ratna.

“During his tenure as PM, the government of India suspended conferring of awards. However later, by accepting the Bharat Ratna, Desai committed a fraud,” the petition said. Desai served as PM between 1977 and 1979. He passed away in 1995.

The petitioner claimed that Mr Desai, in his book, said that India did not have any right over Goa but that the Indian military participated in the “Goa Mukti Sangram” and harassed the citizens of Goa.

The Bombay high court has dismissed a petition seeking revokation of the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister (late) Morarji Desai.

The petitioner, advocate Janardan Jaiswal, said that the Desai should not have been awarded Bharat Ratna as he never bestowed the “Padma” awards on anyone during his tenure as PM. The court imposed a penalty of `50,000 on advocate Jaiswal for filing a “frivolous” petition.

A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre dismissed the petition seeking direction to the government to withdraw Mr Desai’s Bharat Ratna.

The country’s highest civilian honour was conferred on Desai in 1991.

“This is the most frivolous petition. We do not wish to comment anything on this. Such petitions are not expected from members of the bar,” the court said. The judges directed advocate Jaiswal to deposit `50,000 in the account of the high court’s legal aid services cell.

The petition claimed that Desai, in his autobiography, made some controversial remarks about the government conferring awards such as the Bharat Ratna.

“During his tenure as PM, the government of India suspended conferring of awards. However later, by accepting the Bharat Ratna, Desai committed a fraud,” the petition said. Desai served as PM between 1977 and 1979. He passed away in 1995.

The petitioner claimed that Mr Desai, in his book, said that India did not have any right over Goa but that the Indian military participated in the “Goa Mukti Sangram” and harassed the citizens of Goa.