A fresh political war has broken out over awarding of The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to Gorakhpur-based publisher Gita Press.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on June 18, 2023, called the decision a "travesty" and compared it to the felicitation of VD Savarkar and Nathuram Godse. He cited a book by Akshaya Mukul to claim that the Gita Press had "stormy relations" with MK Gandhi and waged "battles" against him on political, religious, and social agenda.
In response, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on June 19 said that the Congress finds Zakir Naik and the Muslim League "secular", but calls Gita Press "communal" because it spreads the "real message of Hinduism".