Naveen Patnaik's sister Gita Mehta refuses to accept Padma Shri award

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's sister Gita Mehta, who has been conferred with the Padma Shri, has refused to accept the award which the Centre announced on the eve of Republic Day.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education.

The awards were announced on the eve of the Republic Day yesterday.

In a press statement issued from New York, Mehta said she was refusing the award as the timing for it was not right, according to a local website.