Ghulam Nabi Azad said that nothing has been removed or added from my twitter profile. (file)
New Delhi:
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has criticized reports of changing his Twitter bio after being awarded the country’s third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, and termed it as “mischievous propaganda”.
Ghulam Nabi Azad tweeted on Tuesday, “Some mischievous propaganda is being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added from my Twitter profile. Profile is as before.”
Some mischievous propaganda is being circulated by some people to create confusion.
Nothing has been removed or added from my Twitter profile.
Profile is same as it was before.
— Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) 25 January 2022
Mr Azad is a key member of the “G-23” in the Congress, which in 2020 wrote to Sonia Gandhi calling for major reforms and “visible and full-time leadership” in the organization. Since then he has been a target of Gandhi family loyalists in the party and has been accused of growing closeness to the ruling BJP.
After being nominated for the Padma award, Mr Azad was overshadowed by his Congress colleague Jairam Ramesh, who drew similarities with CPM’s Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and tweeted: “Right thing done. He wants to be free not a slave.”
right thing to do. He wants to be free, not a slave. https://t.co/iMWF00S9Ib
— jairam ramesh (@jairam_ramesh) 25 January 2022
Mr Ramesh also tweeted an excerpt from a book about former bureaucrat PN Haskar’s denial of the award.
“In January 1973, the most powerful civil servant of our country was told that he was being offered the Padma Vibhushan when he left the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). Here’s PN Haksar’s response. It’s a classic, and worth emulating deserves it,” read his caption.
In January 1973, the most powerful civil servant of our country was told that he was being offered the Padma Vibhushan if he left the PMO. Here is PN Haksar’s response to this. It’s a classic, and worthy of emulation. pic.twitter.com/H1JVTvTyxe
— jairam ramesh (@jairam_ramesh) 25 January 2022
Another Congress leader, Raj Babbar, congratulated Mr Azad and said that “his commitment to the Gandhian ideals has always been an inspiration”.
Babbar tweeted, “Congratulations @ghulamnazad sir! You are like an elder brother and your impeccable public life & commitment to Gandhian ideals has always been an inspiration. #PadmaBhushan A perfect recognition of your 5 decades of meticulous service to the nation is,” Mr Babbar tweeted.
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