Padma awards to four from Assam at the behest of BJP leaders: Tarun Gogoi, Chief minister

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that Centre did not include any of the persons recommended by state government in this year’s Padma awards.

Stroking controversy Gogoi said that four awardees who were selected for award was done at the behest of some BJP leaders. Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah (Literature and Education), Prahlad Chandra Tasa (Literature and Education), Kameshwaram Brahma (Literature and Education - Journalism) and Ajoy Kumar Dutta (Social Work) were selected for Padma Shree from Assam this year.

Gogoi said that these persons were not recommended by the state government. The state government had sent a list of 28 names for consideration for Padma awards.

He added "no one who was recommended by the state government was given Padma award this year. If the centre did not want to give it as per our recommendation, why did they seek the list?. On whose recommendation the four persons from the state were given Padma shree. It was done perhaps at the behest of some BJP leader."

He added this action was against the spirit of cooperative federalism and team India which NDA government professes. "The tableau from the state was included in the Republic Day parade at New Delhi only after he personally intervened and took up the matter with the defence minister. Assam’s tableau depicting Rongali Bihu won the third best prize in the parade."