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Maharashtra’s Modi, Thackeray, and Shivaji On who should appear on future banknotes, the BJP has its own views
Following criticism of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal's demand for pictures of Lakshmi and Ganesh to be printed on currency, BJP members propose using pictures of politicians and historical figures; the Congress recommends Ambedkar.
Mumbai: After criticising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s demand for images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on banknotes, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Maharashtra have voiced their suggestions on the famous faces they believe should adorn new currency notes, ranging from Chhatrapati Shivaji and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nitesh Rane, a BJP MLA and Union minister, posted a modified photograph of a Rs 200 note with the visage of Maratha warrior ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji on Twitter on Wednesday with the remark “Ye perfect hai (this is flawless)”.
Another Maharashtrian member of the BJP, Ram Kadam, suggested that in addition to the picture of Shivaji, there should also be pictures of B.R. Ambedkar, Savarkar, and Modi on banknotes.
The recommendations made by the BJP MLAs were in response to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kejriwal’s proposal that new currency notes be printed with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Ganesh on opposite sides. He said that he would write that doing so would “help the country develop.”
The BJP criticised Kejriwal’s remarks because it recognised the AAP’s overtly Hindutva message before of the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Manoj Tiwari, a member of the BJP, claimed on Wednesday that the Delhi government had “U-turned” after its leaders allegedly “abused Hindu gods” and “objected to the Ram Mandir” in Ayodhya.
Modi and Thackeray on currency?
The inclusion of images of Modi, Shivaji, Ambedkar, and Savarkar on banknotes, according to Kadam, a BJP MLA from Ghatkopar West in Mumbai, will motivate “crores of people.”
“There is no denying that having images of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Swatantraveer Savarkar, and Shivaji Maharaj will inspire millions of people across the nation. Nobody can dispute this. They are deserving of respect, everyone should agree, Kadam tweeted.
How can we discount the enormous effort and commitment made by our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave fame to our nation on a global scale, he continued?
Nitin Raut, the leader of the Maharashtra Congress, also suggested placing Ambedkar’s picture alongside Gandhi’s on banknotes. Raut tweeted, “Why not place Ambedkar’s photo on the paper beside Gandhi’s?” “Note par Mahatma Gandhi ke sath Babasaheb Ambedkar ki tasveer kyon nahi.”
Raut argued that if Kejriwal learns “principles of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps he will not have to sell the narcotic of religion” at the schools he continues parading to “brand” himself.
Anil Parab, a senior in the Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction, claimed that his group did not want to engage in this type of politics but that, given the chance, he would have recommended that coinage bear a picture of the late Bal Thackeray.
Everyone believes that the image of their leader should appear on banknotes, but it doesn’t matter what I want. These judgments are ultimately made by the government, he told reporters in Mumbai on Thursday.
