Abused by BJP, Congress for demanding Ganesh, Lakshmi pics on currency: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that “without the blessing of the almighty no amount of hard work will succeed and therefore, images of Ganesh ji and Lakshmi ji should be printed on currency notes."

"I am not saying that merely by printing images things will improve but whatever you do will not be enough without the blessings of the almighty,” he said.

Kejriwal was speaking at a public rally in Morva Hadaf in Panchmahal district on the first day of this two-day Gujarat visit, his fourth this month.

The AAP leader claimed that he was being “abused” by both BJP and Congress for demanding pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi be printed on currency notes.

Read | Kejriwal writes to PM, pushes for gods on notes again

The Delhi CM had announced the controversial demand two days back in Delhi and on Friday before landing in Gujarat he wrote a letter to the prime minister on the issue.

The AAP chief’s demand comes after he drew flak from the BJP and saffron organisations in Gujarat over his Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam’s attendance in a mass conversion event in Delhi.

Following this episode, posters of Kejriwal had appeared in a major cities in Gujarat showing him skull caps with captions claiming him as “anti-Hindu.”

Similarly, AAP’s Gujarat unit president Gopal Italia was also targeted by BJP over his old videos, which the ruling party leaders claimed as “anti-Hindu.”

Meanwhile, reacting over Kejriwal’s demand, Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil said, “I am worried that Kejriwal may remove Mahatma Gandhi’s picture from the currency notes as he had already done away with Gandhi’s picture from Punjab government offices.”

Ex-CM’s son joins Congress

Mahendrasinh Vaghela, ex MLA and son of former chief minister, Shankersinh Vaghela, on Friday joined Congress after resigning from BJP.

It was like home coming for junior Vaghela who had left Congress during 2017 Assembly polls.

He was a Congress MLA from Bayad Assembly seat in Sabarkantha district. The 58-year-old Vaghela was welcomed by Congress leaders including party’s state president Jagdish Thakor, among others.