01-29-2009, 09:27 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Padma Shri for businessman as an artist, blame-game begins</b>
pioneer.com
PTI | New Delhi
A blame-game appears to have broken out between the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Union Home Ministry over the <b>selection of a businessman for this year's Padma Shri title in the category of an artist.</b>
Hashmat Ullah Khan, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir was among the 93 Padma Shri awardees in the category of art but it was <b>later found that he was an exporter and not a craftsman.</b>
The issue came to light when mediapersons tried to trace him to have his comments on the award but were unable to locate any artist by that name.
The awardee himself said he was "surprised" to receive the call informing him about the honour.
Khan told PTI that he had a shop in Chandi Chowk in Delhi and has been working for promotion of work on Pashmina Shawls.
<b>"I am as surprised as you are," he said and wondered if he was the person to whom the award has been given.</b>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Officials in the President's Secretariat said that they had nothing to do with the antecedents of the awardees as the list was sent by the Home Ministry after a thorough scrutiny.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thank God, Babus had not given Bharat Ratna to Queen's dog.
pioneer.com
PTI | New Delhi
A blame-game appears to have broken out between the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Union Home Ministry over the <b>selection of a businessman for this year's Padma Shri title in the category of an artist.</b>
Hashmat Ullah Khan, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir was among the 93 Padma Shri awardees in the category of art but it was <b>later found that he was an exporter and not a craftsman.</b>
The issue came to light when mediapersons tried to trace him to have his comments on the award but were unable to locate any artist by that name.
The awardee himself said he was "surprised" to receive the call informing him about the honour.
Khan told PTI that he had a shop in Chandi Chowk in Delhi and has been working for promotion of work on Pashmina Shawls.
<b>"I am as surprised as you are," he said and wondered if he was the person to whom the award has been given.</b>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> Officials in the President's Secretariat said that they had nothing to do with the antecedents of the awardees as the list was sent by the Home Ministry after a thorough scrutiny.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thank God, Babus had not given Bharat Ratna to Queen's dog.
