Predictably, former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has refused the Padma Bhushan award which was announced by the central government on Tuesday. Bhattacharjee is a former member of CPI-M politburo.
“I don’t know anything about Padman Bhusan award, none has said anything about it. If I have been given Padma Bhushan I refuse to accept it,” Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said on the Padma Bhushan announcement, according to a tweet by CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury.
According to government officials, his wife was informed about it in advance and at that time she did not say any objection to the award. “This is cheapness of the Communists,” said a commentator.
The CPI(M) is a party that always commits ‘historic blunders’ which it realises after one or two decades later. Thankfully, they have reduced themselves to a marginal player in Indian politics.
Commenting on Buddha’s refusal, Dr K S Radhakrishnan said, “Communists can’t be nationalists; they seldom pay homage to nation and nationalism because they are internationalists by faith. How far a communist is being justified when he keeps disrespect to the nationality of the nation in which he lives is a question which deserves answers. It is within this context that the questions why communists in India keep contempt against the Indian nationality.”
Reacting to the refusal, BJP leader Sandeep Vachaspati said, “We must thank Buddha for refusing the award. He doesn’t deserve a national honour.”
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