
NEW DELHI, FEB 6: President K R Narayanan reportedly turned down the recommendation of Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi in the appointment of the head of the Sangeet Natak Academy.
Narayanan is said to have expressed his disapproval of Joshi’s recommendation made last month to appoint D P Sinha, who is an influential functionary of Sanskar Bharati, an RSS unit.
Instead, he appointed the veteran music composer Bhupen Hazarika from Assam.Sources said that Joshi didn’t push Sinha’s case once it was clear that Rashtrapati Bhavan wasn’t enthused. Incidentally, Sinha was behind the campaign against painter M F Hussein for what the RSS called the “defiling of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.”
According to sources, one section of the BJP wanted to make this an issue arguing that this was yet another example of the President’s “activism.” However, senior leaders prevailed and preferred to take the non-confrontationist line. Following this, Joshi reportedly revised his recommendation.However, the Human Resources Development Minister was not available for comment.




