NEW DELHI, Oct 27: Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
has proposed that printing of the images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi
on the Indian currency notes would help salvage the deteriorating economy in
the country with their bounties.
“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," Kejriwal said.
"Every day, new currency notes are printed. These pictures can be added then,"
he said, the two gods were associated with wealth and prosperity.
"We are all seeing that our economy is not recovering. We all want India to
become a developed country; for that lots of work needs to be done. But all
efforts will only be successful when there will be gods' and goddesses' grace
on us. Today, I appeal to the central government that our currency has a picture
of Gandhi ji on one side. It should be kept as it is, but on the other side,
pictures of Lakshmi ji and Ganesh ji should be included," he said.
Despite being a Muslim-dominated country, Indonesia has Ganesha on their currency,
the AAP said.
Many leaders reacted putting forth alternative proposals. A Congress party
veteran was serious enough to suggest Ambedkar image be printed instead. That
could bring more votes for whoever does it.
The most amusing was one from Maharashtra, a BJP leader got a 200 rupee note
photoshoped with Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji on the note's reverse, without
unnecessarily changing Mahatma Gandhi's picture already printed on the obverse.
A bruised BJP remarked that it was an attempt by the AAP to conceal their anti-Hindu
attitude in the context of the upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
The party said Kejriwal is engaging in "political drama" to divert people's
attention from the "flaws of his Government and the anti-Hindu mindset of the
Aam Aadmi Party".
However, they failed to see that Kejriwal, in the wake of Lakshmi (Goddess
of economic prosperity) puja during Diwali celebrations, could be mercilessly
lampooning their Hindutva party for what is perceived as a looming economic
debacle, virtually "nudging" to pray to the God as the only option left for
them to avert the impending crisis in the absence of any concrete strategy!
