KATHMANDU, Sept 29: Padmashree Sahitya Puraskar and Padmashree Sadhana Samman, two famous literary awards in Nepal, have been cancelled for this year.

The Khemlal-Harikala Lamichhane Samaaj Kalyan Pratisthan on Sunday had announced that it would confer this year’s Padmashree Sahitya Puraskar and the Padmashree Sadhana Samman upon novelist Dr Sanjeev Uprety and litterateur Modanath Prashrit, respectively.

However, Uprety decided not to receive the award amid social media uproar against Prashrit who has been facing a rape charge for a long time. Prashrit, who is also a former education minister, has been portrayed as a brutal rapist in an autobiography 'Dharatal' authored by Sharada Bhushal.

Likewise, Prashrit also announced that he would not share the stage with Uprety, lamenting that he has been dragged into controversy for no reason. He has called it an attempt to defame him. Prashrit who is also a communist leader has vehemently denied the charges against him.

Issuing a press release on Monday evening, the Jiba Lamichhane-led Pratisthan said that the literary awards have been cancelled for this year as litterateurs Uprety and Prashrit decided not to receive the awards through separate press statements.

 
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