Mumbai: Days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s demand to put photos of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on the currency notes, BJP legislator Ram Kadam has demanded adding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, VD Savarkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's images on Indian currency notes.
In a tweet, Kadam posted photographs of these leaders on Rs 500 notes. "Akhand Bharat, Naya Bharat, Mahan Bharat, Jai Shriram, Jai Mata Di,’’ he said in the tweet.
Kadam: Kejriwal remembers gods and goddesses during election
He also lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal saying that the country would have accepted his demands if they were 'genuine'. "But they remember our gods and goddesses only during elections. Nobody can deny the fact that the images of Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Swatantryaveer Savarkar will inspire everyone,’’ Kadam said.
Another BJP legislator Nitesh Rane joining the bandwagon shared a photoshopped image on his Twitter handle which shows a Rs 200 note with a photo of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj instead of Mahatma Gandhi. He captioned the photo, "Ye perfect hai [This is perfect]."
The Republican Party of India (Kharat) President Sachin Kharat demanded that Gautam Buddha’s photo should be put on the currency notes.
Sushma Andhare: Is Kejriwal pushing PM Modi's Hindutva agenda?
However, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s deputy leader Sushma Andhare alleged that the ongoing debate triggered after Kejriwal’s demand was a trap by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ‘’Instead of falling into this trap, Modi and Kejriwal should be asked to answer how the continuous slide in rupee can be stopped and how rupee can be improved against dollar,’’ she said.
‘’It is really surprising that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has worked as an assistant commissioner in the Income Tax department, wants to have the photos of Ganapati and Lakshmi on the currency notes. Does Kejriwal want to push PM Modi’s Hindutva agenda forward? There is a history of whose photos should be on the currency notes of any country and accordingly the photos are put. As Mahatma Gandhi is the father of our nation, his photo appears on the currency notes,’’ said Andhare. ‘However, the demand for and against putting the photos of gods and goddesses should not be looked at from the religious point of view but it should be seen after considering the economic history,’’ she added.
