Days after replacement of Mahatma Gandhi’s photographs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s in Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC)’s annual calendar and diary kicked off a political storm, Haryana Minister Anil Vij on January 14 sparked a new controversy by saying that Gandhi will gradually be removed from currency notes too.
“Good that Mahatma Gandhi was replaced by PM Modi on Khadi calendar, Gandhi will also gradually be removed from currency notes,” the minister said.
“Accha hua ki Gandhi ki jagah Modi ki photo lagayi hai calendar mein, Modi zyada bada brand name hain. ( Its good that Mahatma Gandhi was replaced by Modi as PM is much bigger brand than Gandhi),” Anil Vij added.
“Jab se Khadi ke saath Gandhi ka naam juda hai, khadi uth hi nahi saki. Khadi doob gayi (From the time Gandhi’s name has been associated with Khadi, the industry has never been able to stand up. Khadi has drowned),” Vij said.
The controversial Haryana minister, who is in-charge of health, sports and youth affairs in the BJP government, even went on to say that the rupee has devalued from the time Gandhi’s photo started appearing on currency notes.
“Gandhi ka aisa naam hai ki jis din se note pe chhapi hai tasveer us din se note ki devaluation ho gayi (Gandhi’s name is such that from the day his photo started appearing on currency notes, the note has devalued),” Vij told ANI.
Watch what all the minister said here in this video:
Good that Mahatma was replaced by Modi on khadi calendar,Gandhi will also gradually be removed from currency notes says Haryana Min Anil Vij pic.twitter.com/e8AXr7WJFw
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017
Modi, already facing heat over the move to demonetise higher denomination notes, was on Friday faced the flack from the opposition including Mahatma’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi.
Among the first to mock the move was Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul said “The Mangalayaan effect”, referring to his earlier jibe at Modi for taking the credit after India’s successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission or the Mangalyaan.
The opposition parties were unsparing in slamming the move, asserting that the ‘Father of the Nation’ was irreplaceable.
Terming replacement of Gandhi’s photo as “sacrilegious”, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “Obsession bordering on narcissism has unfortunately become the hallmark of the Prime Minister.”
The Communist Party of India-Marxist accused the Prime Minister of lowering the esteem of his office, while the Communist Party of India dubbed the move “atrocious”. Other opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress and the Janata Dal-United too came out with scathing attacks.
Even BJP’s ally Shiv Sena criticised the move, with party MP Anand Adsul saying “replacing Bapu’s picture is a grave sin”.
An outraged Tushar Gandhi said the move was an attempt to “snatch” Mahatma’s legacy and called for disbanding the KVIC.
Meanwhile, BJP has called Anil Vij’s comments as his personal remark and not the party’s stand.
