Owaisi calls for establishing fair 'criteria' for conferring civilian awards

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, who has objected to the Bharat Ratna being conferred on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Tuesday said there should be a fair 'criteria' for handing out such high civilian awards.

"I don't want to say anything more about what I said yesterday. The larger question is that there should be some criteria for conferring such high civilian awards and a public discussion should also be held

on the matter which will be good for the country," said Owaisi.

Owaisi had yesterday questioned the conferring of the Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee. He had also objected to the Padma Vibhushan being awarded to BJP veteran and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani. He alleged that Advani was facing criminal cases in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

President Pranab Mukherjee had earlier this year conferred these honours on these two leaders.