Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue Dattopant Bapurao Thengdi has declined to accept the Padma Bhushan award saying he is not qualified to accept the honour for a task whose credit goes to the outfit's founding fathers, M S Golwalker and K B Hedgewar.

In a letter, Thengdi profusely thanked President A P J Abdul Kalam for the honour bestowed on him and expressed his admiration for him, sources said.

Golwalker and Hedgewar deserve to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Thengdi, founder of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said.

RSS joint spokesman Ram Madhav said, "He [Thengdi] is a very senior leader. We respect his sentiments."