Eminent Hindi poet Janki Ballabh Shastri has turned down the Padma Shri conferred upon him by the government, terming it as an abuse and not an honour at this stage of his life.
In his late 80s, Janki Ballabh Shastri is angry and unhappy on being chosen for the award for his significant contribution to Hindi literature.
Shastri, who resides in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, recalled that he had turned down the award in 1995 itself.
"It was I who was behind Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and Benipuri (renowned Hindi poets) winning Padma Shri," he said.
"Choosing me at this age is like a joke. It is an insult to me," he said.
Shastri is a renowned Hindi poet, writer and critic, who has written many famous stories, novels, plays, biography, essays, ghazals and songs.
He has earlier been honoured with awards like Rajendra Shikhar Samman, Bharat Bharti Award and Shivpujan Sahay Award.
Padma Bhushan for Aamir, Padma Shri for Sehwag