Narendra Modi Government Selects Gita Press, Gorakhpur for Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize, Congress Calls it “Travesty”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has decided to honour Gita Press, Gorakhpur, with the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods,” said the Ministry of Culture on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award given to those who live their lives following the principals of Mahatma Gandhi. This award is open to everyone regardless of their cast, creed, gender, nationality, race, or language. Also, the winner gets a cash prize of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and a handicraft/handloom item.

While the ruling party unanimously welcomed this decision of PM Narendra Modi, the opposition – Congress party – has criticized it calling it a “travesty”.

“There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organization by Akshaya Mukul in which he unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious, and social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted, saying