In a major move, the Andhra Pradesh government has renamed 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar Awards' to 'YSR Vidya Puraskars'. However, the decision was condemned by the oppositions, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.
"The government has ordered to re-designate the 'Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar Awards' as 'YSR Vidya Puraskars' from 2019 onwards for distribution on the occasion of birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as National Education Day on November 11, 2019," read a Government Order (GO) issued in this regard.
The award is given to meritorious students in SSC. Earlier, the government used to select these students from all over the state, but now the government has changed the guidelines and the awards will be given only to government school students. Further, the awards will be given at the district level.
However, BJP leader Lanka Dinakar has condemned the government's move of changing the name and accused it of suppressing the name of 'real heroes' with that of 'kin in the dynasty politics'.
"This award is felicitated to the 10th standard students for their outstanding performance, on the occasion of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary. Unfortunately, the name of this award has changed. This shows utmost arrogance in the decision taken by the state government by disrespecting the great scientist and former president of our nation by replacing his name with the name of former CM and father of current CM YS Rajashekar Reddy," said Dinakar.
"This is the best example of how the names of real heroes of the nation can be suppressed by the names of their kin and kin in the dynasty politics," he added.
TDP National General Secretary, Ram Mohan Naidu K has also denounced the state move. He said: "Pratibha Awards recognizes meritorious students in SSC Public Examination. Considering its apolitical & educational nature, they were named after Abdul Kalam Garu. Extremely petty that these awards, now renamed after YSR, have not been spared the name-changing drive of the government," Naidu tweeted.
( With inputs from ANI )