Congress-BJP war over Padma awards: Bandi says Gaddar killed BJP leaders, can’t be awarded

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay also said Gaddar had penned songs on killings of BJP leaders and sang them. He was also responsible for deaths of police personnel in encounters

HYDERABAD: The war of words between the State and Union governments over selecting people for Padma awards is continuing.

A day after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed dissatisfaction over the Centre not considering the names, including that of Balladeer Gaddar, recommended by the Telangana government for Padma awards, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay shot back saying the Centre does consider the names recommended by the State government but selects people considering different factors.

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“How can Balladeer Gaddar be considered for Padma Awards? What is his ideology? He will definitely be not given the award. He was involved in the killing of many BJP leaders,” Bandi Sanjay said at a meeting here.

The Union Minister also said Gaddar had penned songs on killings of BJP leaders and sang them. Gaddar was also responsible for deaths of police personnel in encounters, he said.

“NIA had also conducted an inquiry on Gaddar, who followed naxalism,” Bandi Sanjay said.

Gummadi Vittal, popularly known as Balladeer Gaddar, was a poet, writer and a communist revolutionary. He was also active in the Maoist insurgency. He passed away on August 6, 2023. The Congress government reinstituted the Telugu films- theatre awards in his name.

Meanwhile, Bandi Sanjay was also critical of the Congress government naming the housing scheme for poor as Indiramma Indlu and seeking funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The State government can take up any welfare and development programmes with its own funds and use any name for such programmes.

“For the housing scheme, the Congress government can name it after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi or Osama Bin Laden or Dawood Ibrahim. But if funds are being sought from Union government, then the Union government’s scheme name should be displayed prominently,” he insisted.

“Funds are being sanctioned by Union government but the State government wants to claim credit for the same by coining a different name. This will not be tolerated,” Bandi Sanjay said.

He also said the Union government was trying to extend benefits to eligible persons under different schemes without any involvement of the State government.