Hyderabad: Amid nationwide protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), city-based Urdu writer Mujtaba Hussain has decided to return his Padma Shri award. He said that he was not happy with the current situation in the country.
Mujtaba Hussain alleged criminal activities were increasing day by day and democracy has come under threat in the country.
“…The democratic set up built by Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Ambedkar, it is being broken… the voices of many people are is being shut, many are being killed and poor people are not in a position to laugh,” Hussain told this agency Wednesday.
Hussain was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country, for his contributions to Urdu literature in 2007.
Hussain however, played safe. He asserted he would not hold the BJP responsible for the state of affairs and that standards have declined in politics.
“Politicians used to be statesmen. Now, statesmanship has come to an end,” the 87-year-old writer said.
“I am not happy with the situation today. As a citizen, I am not happy in the country… mob lynching, rapes are happening and increasing, criminal activities are growing day by day in the country, whoever is doing. Politicians are not running the government or ‘goonda raj’ is happening or whatever is happening. Common man is worried and dying and there is no attention towards him,” added the writer.
Agencies