New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's appeal on Wednesday for printing images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes triggered a bitter war of words between the ruling AAP and opposition parties BJP and Congress.
The BJP leaders attacked Kejriwal alleging that his demand was an "attempt to cover up public assertions of his party leaders against Hindu deities", while the Congress demanded Delhi chief minister's resignation for allegedly violating secular principles of the Constitution. Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari charged that Kejriwal's religious pitch in view of elections in Gujarat and MCD polls in Delhi was nothing but an "unsuccessful attempt" by him to hide "anti-Hindu face of AAP exposed recently by its leaders openly abusing Hindu deities".
If Kejriwal really meant what he said, he should expel former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and AAP's Gujarat unit president Gopal Italia from the party for "speaking against Hindu deities", Tiwari demanded. "All such leaders... whether it's (Rajendra Pal) Gautam or the AAP's Gujarat unit president are still in the party," Tiwari said.
Those who opposed the Ram temple in Ayodhya now have come out with a new "mask" in view of the elections, he said, referring to an old statement by Kejriwal citing his grandmother's words that Lord Ram cannot reside in a temple constructed by demolishing a mosque. "Kejriwal, who has so far protected his party leaders who insulted Hindu gods and goddesses, is now trying to save his face in view of the elections", Tiwari alleged.
In a media briefing earlier, Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. "Despite trying our best, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if the gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on our currency (notes).
"If there is an image of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this," he said. With BJP sharpening attacks on their party chief, AAP leaders hit back with party MP Sanjay Singh saying, "Just because Arvind Kejriwal has requested for this, the BJP is uncomfortable with the proposal."
AAP MLA Atishi asked the BJP leaders to continue to "hate" Kejriwal if they wished so but do not denounce blessings of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi. BJP leader Kapil Mishra shared on Twitter a purported Diwali advertisement of the Delhi government showing picture of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, pointing the pictures of Ganesha and Lakshmi were missing in it although Kejriwal was demanding that images of the deities be printed on the currency notes.
"Kejriwal's hypocrisy is on show," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters as he noted that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had recently warned people celebrating Diwali with firecrackers of legal action. AAP MLA and party's chief whip in Delhi Assembly Dilip Pandey attacked the BJP saying although it "masqueraded" as a flag-bearer of Dharma, it was opposing the chief minister's proposal. "The BJP should tell what problem they have with the proposal," he said. Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar said Kejriwal should resign from the chief minister's post for "violating" the secular principle enshrined in the Constitution. "Kejriwal is playing low-level politics by bringing in Hindu deities in his political gambit to violate the secular credentials of the country," he said.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to print images of Hindu deities— Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes. During a media briefing, he said the photos of Ganesha and Lakshmi could be printed on fresh currency notes. He added that the new notes could have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of the two deities on the other.
"Despite making efforts, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on our currency (notes). If there is a photo of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this," he said. He cited the example of Indonesia, a Muslim nation, that has a picture of Ganesha on its currency note.
"When Indonesia can, why can't we? The photos can be printed on fresh (currency) notes," he said. Lamenting the fact that the India economy was not in a good shape, he said the country was passing through a delicate situation with the rupee depreciating against the US dollar. "We all want India to be rich and every family here to be prosperous. We have to open schools and hospitals on a large scale," he added.
Kejriwal also said the Aam Aadmi Party was fully prepared for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls and stressed that the people of the national capital would reject the BJP. He also challenged the BJP to cite one good work it had done in Gujarat, where it has run a government for the last 27 years. "All demonic powers aligned against us," Kejriwal said on the upcoming polls in Gujarat. The Delhi chief minister also lauded the efforts of Delhi residents for the decline in the city's pollution levels. "We are still not satisfied. We want to make Delhi the city with the cleanest air," he said. ( With Agency Inputs)
