This sentence from a major Indian daily amused me:
- The mother of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable, who died in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir, was felicitated at the 65th Republic Day celebrations.
- On behalf of the district administration, Minister in-charge of Mysore district V. Srinivas Prasad felicitated Savitramma, Satish’s mother, in recognition of her son’s sacrifice.
I find it comic given the above context and believe that the use of the verb is inappropriate in the given situation:
- felicitate verb ~ congratulate.
- A felicitation is when you congratulate someone.
Is this correct usage?