Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Refuses to Accept Padma Bhushan
Among other Padma Award recipients , former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and first Chief of Defence Staff late General Bipin Rawat will be awarded with the Padma Vibhushan.
New Delhi: Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday refused to accept Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award. “I know nothing about this award. No one has told me anything about it. If they have decided to offer Padma Bhushan to me, I refuse to accept it,” news agency PTI quoted senior CPM leader as saying. On the eve of the Republic Day, the Centre announced the names of Padma Award recipients. As per the list released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was to be conferred with Padma Bhushan award.
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Government sources, on the other hand, clarified that his family was well-informed about it in the morning and at that time no intent of rejection was expressed. Bhattacharjee is among 17 Padma Bhushan awardees, the government announced on the eve of 73rd Republic Day.
Top government sources have told ANI, “It is factually incorrect that the family was not informed about the government’s decision to Besto him with this honour.” As per the sources, a very senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs had called up the Bhattacharjee household and spoken to his wife.
“At that time no intent of rejection was expressed by the wife or anybody else from the family. The government release the list of awards is only late in the night therefore it is being assumed that this could have been a political afterthought,” sources said.
Among other Padma Award recipients, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and first Chief of Defence Staff late General Bipin Rawat will be awarded with the Padma Vibhushan.
The Padma Bhushan will be conferred on Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and SII MD Cyrus Poonawalla. Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella, his co-founder wife Suchitra Ella.
Here are the names of the recipients:
Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
The awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
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