Bestow Bharat Ratna on Arjan Singh; Badal to PM

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his personal intervention to confer the Bharat Ratna award on the Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh.

"It will be a befitting honour not only to the most deserving personality, but also as a tribute to valour, dedication and spirit of sacrifice that symbolises the Indian Armed Forces," Badal said in a missive to the Prime Minister.

Badal said that that he had already proposed the name of Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Air Force, for the award of Bharat Ratna.

He apprised the Prime Minister that Arjan Singh is the only living "Five Star" military officer, besides the first Air Chief Marshal of Air Force when, in recognition of his stellar role in the 1965 war, the rank of the Chief of Air Staff was upgraded to that of Air Chief Marshal, an official spokesman said.

Arjan Singh is a recipient of Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), awarded in 1944 and Padma Vibhushan in 1965.

Arjan Singh also served as Ambassador to Switzerland and Vatican and High Commissioner to Kenya.

He also has been member of Minority Commission and has served as Lt Governor of Delhi from 1989 to 1990.