Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre decided to confer the Padma Vibhushan award to the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh posthumously.

General Bipin Rawat, who recently passed away in a chopper crash, and BJP’s late veteran leader Kalyan Singh’s names are in the list of 128 people whose names have been approved for this year’s Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country.

‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the conferment of 128 Padma Awards that comprises four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards.

Taking to Twitter Shah said, “India’s first CDS Late Bipin Rawat ji was a patriot, who served the country with full devotion and dedication. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has honoured his service to the nation in true sense by giving him Padma Vibhushan. For this, I congratulate Modi ji on behalf of the country.”

भारत के प्रथम CDS स्वर्गीय बिपिन रावत जी एक अनन्य राष्ट्रभक्त थे, जिन्होंने पूरी निष्ठा और समर्पण से देश की सेवा की।

प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi जी ने उन्हें पद्म विभूषण देकर उनकी राष्ट्रसेवा को सच्चे अर्थों में सम्मानित किया है। इसके लिए देश की ओर से मोदी जी का अभिनंदन करता हूँ।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 25, 2022

General Rawat was headed to Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course when his chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu. He was India’s, longest-serving four-star General.

Remembering late Kalyan Singh, the Union Home Minister said, “Kalyan Singh ji devoted his entire life in the interest of the country. While being the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he gave a fear-free and public welfare government to the people. Conferring him with Padma Vibhushan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today is a true tribute to the great life of Babuji dedicated to the nation.”

A two-time Chief Minister (June 1991 to December 1992 and September 1997 to November 1999), Kalyan Singh also served as Governor of Rajasthan (2014-2019). Singh also held various organisational posts in the BJP, both at the state and the central level. Singh passed away on August 21, 2021, at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow, due to sepsis and multi-organ failure.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the Padma Awards on the eve of 73rd Republic Day.
The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March and April every year.