New Delhi [India], June 19 : A day after the Centre conferred Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 on Gita Press, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday hit out at the government saying that the decision to award the publisher from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur is a "travesty" and is like awarding Hindutva ideologue Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse.
In a tweet, Jairam Ramesh said, "The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 has been conferred on the Gita Press at Gorakhpur which is celebrating its centenary this year. There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organisation by Akshaya Mukul in which he unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious and social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse."
The remarks drew ire from the Bharatiya Janata Party with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticising the Congress by saying that the grand old party has unleashed a war against India's civilisational values and rich legacy.
"With the win in Karnataka, Congress has now openly unleashed a war against India's civilisational values and rich legacy, be it in the form of repeal of anti-conversion law or criticism against Geeta Press. people of India will resist this aggression and reassert our civilisation values with equal aggression," Sarma tweeted.
Amid the war of words between the two parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that conferring Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 on Gita Press is an honour for the work being done by it.
"If India's glorious ancient Sanatan culture and scriptures can be read easily today, it is due to Gita Press's unmatched contribution. Conferring Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 on Gita Press is an honour of the work being done by it," Shah said in a tweet.
Speaking on the same, BJP leader Jitendra Singh said that the Gita Press is an affordable literature producer and is associated with the ethos of the country.
"Gita Press is associated with the culture of India, associated with Hindu beliefs, producer of affordable literature and those who used to say that the Muslim League was secular are accusing it...," Singh said.
The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press of Gorakhpur, in recognition of its "outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods, the Ministry of Culture said on Sunday.
Gandhi Peace Prize 2021, recognizes the important and unparalleled contribution of Gita Press, in contributing to the collective upliftment of humanity, which personifies Gandhian living in the true sense.
Established in 1923, Gita Press is one of the world's largest publishers, having published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.
The statement issued by the Ministry of Culture said that the jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi unanimously decided to select Geeta Press, Gorakhpur for the Gandhi Peace Prize.
This award is given every year to those who follow the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. It was started by the Government of India in 1995.
The recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize get Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft, handloom item.
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