Thiruvananthapuram sources have stated that the divide between the Centre and Kerala State continues to grow, this time over the Padma awards. Presently it has come to light that only one recommendation by the Pinarayi Vijayan led Kerala government was accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile as the per the state’s list, there were 35 recommendations for Padma Shri, six for Padma Bhushan and one for Padma Vibhushan. Further Padma Shri winners Lakshmikutty Amma and Rajagopal were not on the list of names sent by the state. Furthermore among the names recommended by the Kerala government for Padma Bhushan were Malayalam actors Mammootty and Mohanlal, poet Sugathakumari, Kathakali exponent Kalamandalam Gopi and Chenda artiste Peruvanam Kuttan Marar.
Earlier Mammootty, Mohanlal and Sugathakumari had
won the Padma Shri earlier. MR Rajagopal, who was awarded the Padma Shri this
year, was on the list of names sent by the state government in 2017.
Accordingly many had hit out at the Kerala government for failing to recommend
new names to the Centre, pointing out that the state was equally guilty of
being partisan.
