Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi On Currency Notes: Kejriwal's Solution To Improve Economy

"As I said, we have to make a lot of effort to improve the economic situation of our country. But also with that, we need blessings from Gods and Goddesses," Kejriwal said in his address.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider his suggestion of including images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes in India to “improve the economic situation of the country”. 

"Today I appeal to the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Indian currency there is a photo of Gandhi ji, let that be, on the other side of currency, a photo of Shri Ganesh Ji and Lakshmi ji should be put,” he said. 

"As I said, we have to make a lot of effort to improve the economic situation of our country. But also with that, we need blessings from Gods and Goddesses. The whole country will get blessings if on currency notes, there is a photo of Ganesh Ji and Lakshmi ji on one side and Gandhi ji on the other side," he added.

Citing example from Muslim- majority nation Indonesia which has an image of Lord Ganesha on its 20,000 Rupiah currency note, Kejriwal said, "If Indonesia can do it; choose Ganesh Ji, so can we... I will write to the centre tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to appeal for it... we need the almighty's blessings apart from the efforts to settle the economic condition of the country.”

Kejriwal said that he got this idea while worshipping for peace and prosperity on Diwali. 

Delhi CM’s statement came ahead of Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and is being viewed as a ‘soft Hindutva’ play to woo Hindu voters. Recently a cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government, Rajendra Pal Gautam had resigned from his post after coming under fire for attending a religious conversion event in the national capital. 

Oppostion Fires Salvo 

Shorly after Kejriwal made the statement, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party launched attack on him with Congress terming Aam Aadmi Party a "B team of BJP and RSS" while the saffron party alleged AAP's politics "taking a U-turn". 

Congress leader and son of former Delhi CM Sheila Diskhit, Sandeep Dikshit said, "He is B team of BJP and RSS. He doesn't have any understanding. It is his vote politics. If he goes to Pakistan, he can also say that I am Pakistani, so vote for me." 

"Arvind Kejriwal's politics is now taking a U-turn. He's the same man who declined to ever go to Ayodhya's Ram Temple, claiming God won't accept the prayers offered there, he's the same man who laughed and called exodus of Kashmiri Pandits a lie in Parliament," BJP's Sambit Patra said.