Padma Award Row: Another Cong leader in support of Azad

New Delhi: In the midst of Congress hostility towards the Padma Bhushan award conferred on Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leader Karan Singh has come out openly in support of Azad and stated that he is "distressed" about the unseemly controversy and Azad should be commended for his work and dedication.

Earlier this week, Congress leader Rajiv Gadkari expressed his displeasure at the unseemly controversy surrounding former Prime Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's Padma award.

I believe that these national awards should not be a matter of interparty controversy, let alone intra-party controversy, " he said.

Azad rose to power through sheer hard work and dedication and played a constructive and positive role as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, he said.

Following Ghulam Nabi Azad's Padma Bhushan award, the Congress party's internal rift has resurfaced.

The former Rajya Sabha opposition leader has been hailed by the G-23, but there has been no reaction from the party, prompting Kapil Sibal to condemn the silence.

According to him, the nation acknowledges the contributions that Ghulam Nabi Azad has made to public life, but the Congress does not require his services.

As a result of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's rejection of Jairam Ramesh, he took aim at his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was also awarded the Padma Bhushan award post-Padma awards announcement.

Ramesh wrote in a tweet: "Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad, not Ghulam."

In an indirect reference to his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the field of Public Affairs, he made the remark.

Besides being a former minister, Azad served as the Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha until recently. He was among the first members of the Congress to push the leadership issue.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal, rejected the Padma Bhushan honour conferred upon him by the Indian government on Tuesday.