A leading academic, critic, orator and social commentator, Azhikode said in a statement in Kozhikode on Friday that he was rejecting the award by the KPCC's cultural wing 'Samskarasahithi' as he was shocked by the 'personalised and slanderous' attack by an editorial in the Congress organ Veekshanam.
"Never before in my long life had I faced such a low and scurrilous attack. If I accept the award it would amount to surrendering my self respect for Rs 50,000," the 82-year-old writer said.
What provoked the Congress daily was an article by Azhikode in a leading Malayalam daily in which he made some barbed comments on Sonia Gandhi while criticising the public speech made by the Congress chief about the LDF rule during her visit last month.
Accusing Azhikode of shifting his stands from time-to-time for personal gains, the Veekshanam editorial said his words were never matched by his deeds. It said Azhikode had stooped to the level of a paid writer for the CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.