SC refuses to restrain Tendulkar from using Bharat Ratna

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to restrain cricketer Sachin Tendulkar from using the Bharat Ratna honour, citing the absence of statutory provisions, rules and regulations. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and D Y Chandrachud said there were no statutory provisions that could lay down the  standards for the use of the top civilian awards and other national awards by its recipients. The bench said it cannot regulate the

conduct of an awardee in the absence of legally enforceable provisions and hence, approaching the government was the only resort available to a citizen complaining about the 'misuse' of national awards by the recipients.

Bhopal resident V K Naswa approached the apex court seeking direction to prohibit Tendulkar from using ‘Bharat Ratna' for commercial purposes. In his petition, he referred to a book describing the cricketer as a 'Bharat Ratna'. 

What the court said

The court, however, said the cricketer cannot be blamed if others use the national honour to promote their products.   

Earlier, Naswa filed a PIL in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, seeking to know if there were any norms to regulate the conduct of the recipients of the Bharat Ratna. The petitioner approached the apex court after the high court was told there were no provisions to regulate these affairs. 

The Supreme Court, 'Bharat Ratna'.