Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Proper factor to do. He needs to be Azad not Ghulam”.
New Delhi:
Senior Congress chief Ghulam Nabi Azad’s identify within the Padma lists introduced on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day evoked combined reactions from celebration colleagues this night. Whereas Shashi Tharoor gave the information an unambiguous welcome, a jibe got here from Jairam Ramesh.
Retweeting the information of Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee declining the Padma award, Mr Ramesh tweeted, “Proper factor to do. He needs to be Azad not Ghulam”.
Proper factor to do. He needs to be Azad not Ghulam. https://t.co/iMWF00S9Ib
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2022
Each Mr Azad and Mr Bhattacharjee have been conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award. However whereas there was no response from the Congress chief, Mr Bhattacharjee — an arch-critic of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi — promptly issued an announcement declining the award.
“I do not know something concerning the Padma Bhushan. Nobody has advised me something about it. If certainly they’ve given me the Padma Bhushan, then I reject it,” learn Mr Bhattacharjee’s assertion issued in Bengali.
Minutes earlier, Mr Ramesh had tweeted a passage from a e book about former bureaucrat PN Haskar’s refusal of the award.
“In Jan 1973, essentially the most highly effective civil servant of our nation was advised he was being provided the Padma Vibhushan on his leaving the PMO. Right here is PN Haksar’s response to it. It’s a traditional, and worthy of emulation,” his caption learn.
In Jan 1973, essentially the most highly effective civil servant of our nation was advised he was being provided the Padma Vibhushan on his leaving the PMO. Right here is PN Haksar’s response to it. It’s a traditional, and worthy of emulation. pic.twitter.com/H1JVTvTyxe
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2022
Public refusal of Padma awards is extraordinarily uncommon, for the reason that awardees are mandatorily knowledgeable concerning the award prematurely and the checklist is introduced solely after their acceptance.
On this occasion, residence ministry officers defined the flub saying Mr Bhattacharjee’s spouse was conveyed the choice on Padma Bhushan and she or he had thanked the House Secretary for it.
The announcement of lists comes weeks forward of a bitterly contested election marketing campaign throughout 5 states, together with Uttar Pradesh and Congress-ruled Punjab.
It additionally comes amid turmoil throughout the Congress over management points. Mr Ramesh and Mr Azad has discovered themselves in opposing camps. Whereas the chief from Kashmir has been among the many celebration veterans calling sweeping organisational adjustments and a everlasting accountable management, Mr Ramesh has been staunch in his assist of the Gandhi household.
Mr Azad is the second Congressman to obtain a Padma award. In 2008, Pranab Mukherjee was given Padma Vibhushan by the federal government the place he was a minister. He obtained the Bharat Ratna award in 2019.
His celebration colleague Shashi Tharoor congratulated him quickly after the Padma bulletins.
“Heat congratulations to Shri @ghulamnazad on his Padma Bhushan. It’s good to be acknowledged for one’s public service even by a authorities of the opposite aspect,” his tweet learn.
The senior chief had hailed Mr Azad as “the one Congressman who has decreased the PM to tears!” throughout his retirement from Rajya Sabha in February final 12 months.
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