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Timing not right: Naveen Patnaik’s sister Gita Mehta says no to Padma Shri

  •   Sat, Jan 26 2019 04:58:54 PM

New Delhi, Jan 26(DC): Author Gita Mehta, who is also the sister of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declined the Padma Shri award announced on Friday.

Gita Mehta cited “timing of the award” as the reason for refusing to accept the Padma award.

In a statement issued from New York, Gita Mehta said, “I am deeply honoured that the Government of India should think me worthy of a Padma Shri but with great regret I feel I must decline as there is a general election looming and the timing of the award might be misconstrued, causing embarrassment both to the Government and myself, which I would much regret.”

 

The general elections are due in April-May this year. The BJP and the BJD are fighting for political supremacy in Odisha with the BJP having garnered significant votes in the last panchayat elections in the state.

The Padma Shri award to the Odisha chief minister’s sister on the eve of the general election has the potential of being used for political gains by the BJP in the state.

 

 
  

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Comment on this article

  • Observer, Mangaluru

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    Very true. BJP turned out to be a opportunist party with the appeasement and try to reach out voters of the particular regions by luring such awards to the selective personalities .

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr. Haneef Shabab, Bhatkal

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    Very honest and intellectual move by the writer Gita Mehta.
    really Pen is mightier....

    DisAgree [1] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kusuma Kumari Gunji, Nellore Andrapradesha

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    I think the BJP is getting jittery with the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. She will defenitely will make a mark and would bring lot of votes for Congress in UP and Bihar. I personally feel unless urgent action is taken by BJP ,BJP will loose elections in Hindiheartland.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • SmR, Karkala

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    PM Modi’s alleged attempts to woo BJD's Naveen Patnaik by conferring Padma award to sister Gita Mehta backfires.

    Padma Shri for Gita Mehta, Naveen Patnaik’s sister! Modi is desperate to get BJD support after the election. Thankfully, Gita Mehta rebuffs Modi and declines Modi's Padma Shri bribe just before the election. That is going to make Modi-Shah more nervous.

    Hours later, Mehta declined to accept the award to avoid any controversy in the election year. In a statement, Mehta wrote, “I am deeply honoured that the Government of India should think me worthy of a Padma Shri but with great regret I feel I must decline as there is a general election looming and the timing of the award might be misconstrued, causing embarrassment both to the Government and myself, which I would much regret.”

    Modi, according to a report by NDTV, had called Mehta at her house in New Delhi, but since she stays in the US, the prime minister ended up speaking to her caretaker for nearly 10 minutes.

    Modi then reportedly rang Mehta to her house in the US and requested her to meet him when she was in Delhi in future. Two weeks later, Mehta arrived in New Delhi with her husband and visited the prime minister at his official residence, where they spoke to him for nearly 90 minutes.

    India goes to Lok Sabha polls in April and May and experts say that Modi is seeking to strike a clandestine deal with Patnaik in the event that his party, the BJP falls short of a majority in the parliament.

    Jai Hind

    DisAgree [5] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • mohammed, Mangalore

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    copied again?
    why?

    DisAgree [6] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kiran, Mangalore

    Sat, Jan 26 2019

    Ok Madame.
    We will ask you next time, when you want and give you.

    I thought the govt decides on these issues.
    We will have to make a exception for this lady atleast.

    everybody ok on this?

    DisAgree [11] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Timing not right: Naveen Patnaik’s sister Gita Mehta says no to Padma Shri



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