65th National Film Awards:Few awardees to boycott
New Delhi, April 3:At the dress rehearsal of the prestigious National Film Awards, a number of awardees expressed disappointment after they were informed that the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind would attend the prize distribution ceremony for only an hour which is scheduled to be held today evening at the Vigyan Bhavan. President Kovind will only hand out 11 awards within the that one hour.
This has upset the remaining awardees who are now contemplating the idea of skipping the ceremony altogether in lieu of the recent developments. The winners protested this development by highlighting the fact that last year, former President Pranab Mukherjee presented all the National Film Awards personally.
“In all the award ceremonies he has attended, he gives away major awards, and takes photographs with all awardees. That has been the standard practice, which has been conveyed to the organisers well in advance,” press secretary to the President,said Ashok Malik.
If sources are to be believed, a number of awardees led by a filmmaker refused to attend the 65th National Film Awards after being informed about the President Kovind’s schedule and plans. The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Smriti Irani had to personally pacify them.
“It was extremely disrespectful on the part of the organisers to treat the awardees this way. We were informed that we would receive the awards from the President himself, and we have brought our family members with us for the ceremony. But it was only this evening that we were told that only 11 awardees will receive them directly from the President,”
While there has been no confirmation if the group will attend the ceremony, however, they have expressed that their disappointment is not against the organisers but the President. As a result, they are not refusing the award, they just won’t attend the event and receive it.
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Complaint filed against Tripura minister over 'fake' edu certificates, 'concealing' of criminal case
Agartala (PTI): A Congress leader in Tripura lodged a complaint with a police station in Unakoti district, alleging that state minister Tinku Roy's educational certificates, declared during the filing of affidavits in the last two assembly elections, were "fake", a lawyer said on Wednesday.
The minister was also accused of concealing a criminal case pending against him while submitting his nomination during the state polls, he said.
Responding to the complaint, the minister said this was a "political issue".
Senior Congress leader Chandrashekar Sinha lodged the complaint at Kailashashar Police Station on Tuesday, his lawyer Narsingha Das said at a press conference held at the district Congress headquarters.
The complainant alleged that state minister and Chandipur MLA Tinku Roy had declared that he passed class XII in 2004 from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
"The educational certificates Roy submitted are alleged to be forged, and the board itself reportedly does not exist. In a case investigated by the CBI, the board was also identified as fake," the Congress leader claimed in the complaint.
Roy had contested the 2018 assembly elections as a BJP candidate from the Kadamtala assembly constituency of North Tripura, and was also in the fray five years later from the Chandipur seat, he claimed.
Additionally, in the nomination affidavit, the minister had stated that no criminal cases were pending against him, the complainant said.
"But, there is a criminal case registered against him at West Agartala police station. Submitting forged educational documents and concealing information of criminal cases is a serious offence", the Congress leader's counsel said.
Congress legislator party leader Birajit Sinha and Unakoti district president Badruzaman remained present in the press conference.
Kailashahar Police Station officer-in-charge Tapas Malakar said, "The police have received a complaint against Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy. As per BNS, we will first conduct an inquiry into the complaint. If it is found to be true, we will lodge an FIR against the minister", he said.
Responding to the complaint, the minister said, "This was a political issue. Ask for details from those who have lodged the complaint."
