On Kejriwal's 'Lakshmi-Ganesh' on currency note comment, Congress Manish Tewari says, 'Why not BR Ambedkar'
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has requested that images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi be printed on currency notes. "Despite our greatest efforts, if the gods and goddesses do not favour us, our efforts may not always be fruitful. I urge PM (Modi) to include images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on our currency (notes)."
FollowA day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal proposed printing images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari proposed printing Bhimrao Ambedkar's photo on a new series of notes on Thursday. Tewari said in a tweet that one side of the note could feature the image of freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi and the other could feature the image of Dalit leader Dr Ambedkar.
"Why not print a picture of Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar on brand-new banknotes? On one side is the great Mahatma, and on the other, there is Dr Ambedkar. Nonviolence, constitutionalism, and egalitarianism connection in a singular union that perfectly encapsulates modern Indian genius," Tewari, a Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, wrote in response to Kejriwal's appeal.
The Congress reacted angrily to Kejriwal's demand, with Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja accusing him of using "competitive Hindutva" to outwit the Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Gujarat.
While talking at a press conference, Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. "Despite our greatest efforts, if the gods and goddesses do not favour us, our efforts may not always be fruitful. I urge Prime Minister (Modi) to include images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on our currency (notes). Our country will prosper if an image of Lakshmi-Ganesha appears on our currency (notes). I'll write to (the) prime minister about it in a day or two," he said.
His remarks did not sit well with the BJP, which dismissed them as a political ploy ahead of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections. "The Gujarat chief, minister, and other leaders of their (AAP) party have all made offensive statements about Hindu deities. Despite this, they are still party members. They're employing new strategies to save face in polls. Those who opposed the Ram Mandir have donned a new mask," said BJP MP and former Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari.
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