People lobby for Padma awards, says Ramdev

Yoga guru Ramdev, who had declined Padma Vibhushan award, on Saturday said that a lot of lobbying takes place for Padma awards and even Nobel prize and those with political influence succeed.

“The entire world knows that all these awards like Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan or Padma Vibhushan and even Nobel prize are given to good people also, but there is intense lobbying and those having more political influence succeed in getting them,” the Yoga guru said here. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by ASSOCHAM to spread awareness about yoga.

Ramdev was tipped to receive Padma award this year but, he wrote to Rajnath Singh declining the honour, saying he was a ‘sanyasi’.

Speaking at a function about the benefits of yoga, he told the gathering that 50 per cent of people in India are forced into debts and mortgage their assets to avail treatment for various diseases.