Kejriwal wants Laxmi, Ganesha on ₹ notes ‘to stem its slide’

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked for Indian currency notes to feature images of Hindu Gods Ganesha and Laxmi along with that of Mahatma Gandhi, adding that he will soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to push for the move.

Addressing a virtual news conference, Kejriwal said he got a “strong feeling” while offering prayers during Diwali that if the Indian currency notes have these images, it will help fructify efforts to improve the economy. “I am not saying that this alone will improve the economy... many other efforts need to be undertaken... but those [efforts] will materialise if we have the blessings of gods and goddesses,” the CM said.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief’s comments triggered a political storm, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing him of “fake Hindutva”, and other Opposition parties accusing him of choosing majoritarianism over science. The AAP dismissed both allegations.

Kejriwal said during the briefing that the Indian economy is “passing through a vulnerable phase” and the rupee is weakening consistently in comparison to the US dollar.

“This badly impacts the poor people of the country. After 75 years of Independence, India is still a developing country and we all want our nation to become a developed country and every family to be rich. We need to make several efforts to achieve this, including developing schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure,” Kejriwal said.

To back his argument, the Delhi CM argued that Indonesia, being a Muslim-majority country with 85% population and under 2% Hindu population, has the picture of Ganesha on its currency notes.

“If Indonesia can do it, we too can. No one should object... I appeal to the Prime Minister that Indian currency should have pictures of these Gods on our currency notes. Laxmi ji is considered the goddess of prosperity and Ganesh ji removes all obstacles,” Kejriwal said.

The normal design of banknotes in most countries includes a portrait of a notable citizen obverse and a different motif on the reverse side which usually depicts key buildings, cultural heritage, achievements and monuments of national importance.

Many countries also use religious symbols, mosques and churches on their currency notes. For instance, Albanian currency notes depict Church of Vau; Czech Republic uses St. Salvator’s Church; Russia showcases St. John the Baptist Church and such religious places are showcased on currency notes of Ukraine and Croatia as well. The Euro banknotes utilize non-existent architectural structures have been chosen to avoid the impression of a national bias but instead showcase architectural images across various ages i.e. Classical, Gothic, Renaissance, etc. Several Muslim-majority countries such as Iran, Iraq and Pakistan depict popular mosques. The use of Gods and Goddesses, however, is very rare.

Clarifying his proposition, Kejriwal said he does not mean that all old currency notes should be replaced, but the freshly printed ones should have these new additions. “Slowly and progressively, these new notes will come into circulation in large numbers,” he said, adding that many people over the past two days supported the idea.

After hitting a peak of 7.8% in April, India’s retail inflation – measured by the consumer price index (CPI) – gradually moderated to 6.71% in July, only to rise again to 7% in August and to 7.41% in September, mainly due to an increase in food and fuel prices.

The rupee hit a record low of 83.29 to the dollar last week, before intervention by the Reserve Bank of India helped it recover. Experts say rising fuel bills are one of the reasons for weakening of the rupee against the dollar.

Reacting to Kejriwal’s statement, BJP’s Sambit Patra accused the CM of double-speak. “Those who were threatening to put you in jail for celebrating Diwali, speaking against the Ram temple and insulting the Swastika and Kashmiri Hindus are Kalyug’s Kalnemi and singing songs of Ram-Ram and Laxmi-Ganesha. This is the culmination of their U-turn politics,” he tweeted in Hindi.

Addressing the media at the BJP headquarters, Patra said: “The blessings of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi are already on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his hard work and commitment. That is why India has risen to become the fifth largest economy in the world from 11th in the last decade.”

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also hit out at Kejriwal.“After failing with his competitive populism, Kejirwal is now resorting to competitive Hindutva to win Gujarat. But he will fail again as people are wise enough to read into his desperate designs,” he said.

Responding to the criticism, AAP leader Atishi said: “I want to urge the BJP with folded hands to not oppose this proposal. This is not only Arvind Kejriwal ji’s proposal but that of all 130 crore people of the country. You hate Kejriwal ji, but why hate Laxmi ji and Ganesh ji? Why hate the prosperity of the country?” she said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Apart from Mahatma Gandhi, Indian currency notes have over the years also featured other images such as the Lion Capital at Sarnath, Indian Parliament, motifs such as tiger, buck, doe, Sambar deer, and highlighted the cultural heritage and scientific achievements of the country.