Richard Dawkins Confirms That Javed Akhtar Won Dawkins Award As Trolls Claim Lyricist Did Not

It certainly was a pride moment when Javed Akhtar was recognized as the first Indian to win the coveted Richard Dawkins 2020 award. While the entire country was celebrating this achievement, there were a few anonymous users who claimed that the lyricist didn't win the award but was only nominated for it.

From my NDTV friend! Is it true @Javedakhtarjadu bhai? pic.twitter.com/M5s2bXGM8Q

¡ª ?? ???? ?? ??? (@India_Policy) June 9, 2020

Setting the record straight is Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist after whom the award is named took to twitter to re-assert that Javed Akhtar is the winner. "Javed Akhtar @Javedakhtarjadu is the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award winner and I could not be more pleased. The Center for Inquiry, on whose board I sit, has designated him this year's recipient for his courageous public stands on behalf of atheism, rationality, and freethought," the author tweeted.

Javed Akhtar @Javedakhtarjadu is the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award winner and I could not be more pleased. The Center for Inquiry, on whose board I sit, has designated him this year's recipient for his courageous public stands on behalf of atheism, rationality, and freethought.

¡ª Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) June 9, 2020

Not just Dawkins, even Javed Akhtar's wife Shabana Azmi has taken to rubbish these claims and trolls of Akhtar not winning the award.

Quoting a tweet that spoke about how Akhtar had just been nominated for the award which he mistook for winning, Azmi shared that Javed writer had received an email from Dawkins himself, announcing the honor.

THIS IS PATENTLY UNTRUE! We have an email from Richard Dawkins on 5th June offering the award and also from Robyn Blumner who heads the Centre for Inquiry USA.I feel sad 4 these pathetic trolls who do not care that they will stand exposed in seconds 4 such a preposterous claim ! https://t.co/Ro1ejCNSdk

¡ª Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) June 9, 2020

"This is patently untrue! We have an email from Richard Dawkins on 5th June offering the award and also from Robyn Blumner who heads the Centre for Inquiry, USA. I feel sad for these pathetic trolls who do not care that they will stand exposed in seconds for such a preposterous claim," tweeted Azmi.

TOI

We hope no more clarifications or confirmations are needed to prove that Javed Akhtar has won the Richard Dawkins 2020 Award and made India proud. To whosoever believed otherwise, we hope you are now satisfied and can join the celebrations.