New Delhi
Upset by the Congress’s negative stand on the government’s move to remove Section 370 and Article 35-A, an activist has announced returning the Yuva Sansad Award, which he was conferred with along with nine other students of DDU University in 2005. Then parliamentary affairs minster Ghulam Nabi Azad, had conferred the award.
Ved Prakash Pathak said that the reason for the move was Azad’s vociferous opposition in parliament to the government’s step, saying that the move was like removing the crown of India.
Pathak, an independent journalist, has requested the government of India, through a tweet to PM Modi, to initiate the process of taking back the award from him. He has also appealed to fellow awardees to return their awards, as he now feels guilty having received the shield and trophy from Ghulam Nabi Azad.
“I have requested the PM to initiate the process of collecting the award. If they fail, I will myself post the trophy and certificate to the government,” said Pathak, who rejected claims that he was doing so because he was a staunch BJP supporter.
“In, 2005, 10 students of the Gorakhpur University qualified for the Yuva Sansad Award by beating opponents from 64 universities. It was a moment of pride for all of us to receive the award from a minster like Azad. Back then, newspapers published a photo the awardees from Gorakhpur on the front page, drawing all round praise for us. But now, when the same minster stands against removal of Article 370 and terms it as a black spot on democracy, it really hurts. When the entire country is standing by the decision, Azad is joining the chorus of dissent with Pakistan. It’s totally unacceptable,” he said.
|
