Days after the government selected Gita Press for the Gandhi Peace Prize, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on June 20 said that despite being a member of the jury that decides the winner, he was not part of the selection process this time.
“I was not informed either verbally or in writing. As the leader of the single largest Opposition party, I never got any invitation from the government. Neither was I informed about the meeting [to pick the awardee],” Mr. Chowdhury told The Hindu over phone.
A five-member jury decides the winner of the Gandhi Peace Prize, which was instituted in 1995 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary. The jury is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises the Chief Justice of India, Leader of the Opposition/single largest Opposition party and two eminent personalities.
