4 Feb 2010
PRESIDENT SHARES BJP'S ANGUISH: AWARD TO 'DRAUPADI'
From Our Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil on Thursday shared a BJP women wing delegation's anguish over the Sahitya Akademi award conferred on Telugu novel "Draupadi" portraying the legendary figure as a "sex symbol" and assured an immediate inquiry.
The delegation wanted cancellation of award to the novel written by Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Rajya Sabha, for making dirty remarks not only about Draupadi, revered figure in the epic Mahabharat, but also portraying Lord Krishna and others as obsessed with sex.
A BJP press release said the President assured the delegation to seek an explanation from the government and personally probe the award as she agreed that such scurrilous comments on the historical figures amounted to attack on the Indian culture.
BJP Mahila Morcha convener Sumitra Mahajan, who led the delegation, said they were shocked and saddened by the Akademi picking up for award the book that makes dubs Draupadi as a sex maniac in chapter after chapter. Sahitya Parishad is a government-funded autonomous body and hence the government should intervene to stop award to the book shocking the entire women fraternity, the delegation told the President.
The human rights commission of Andhra Pradesh has already stayed presentation of the award slated on February 16 and directed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to stop translation of the novel in all 24 Indian languages recognised in the Constitution as provided in the Akademi charter for any award-winning book.
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