Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come under fire for suggesting images of Hindu deities be added to Indian banknotes for the country’s “economic prosperity”.
Mr Kejriwal, 54, the three-term chief minister of the Indian capital, sparked controversy on Wednesday after he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to incorporate images of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and elephant god Ganesh on banknotes.
“Our economy is not improving. We need to make multi-pronged efforts to develop our country … our efforts will bear fruit only when we have the blessings of god upon us,” Mr Kejriwal told a press conference.
He cited the image of Ganesh used on an Indonesian currency note to argue it had been allowed in a Muslim-majority country.
But his remarks were met with widespread disdain, with people questioning his intentions and saying it went against the secular nature of the country.
India, with a population of 1.3 billion, is officially secular although an overwhelming majority of people are practicing Hindus.
Many on social media criticised Mr Kejriwal, calling it a stunt to grab votes ahead of assembly elections later this year, where he is battling Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
“#ArvindKejriwal is now going overboard in a desperate bid to out-Hindu the Hindutva wadi,” journalist Madhavan Narayanan said on Twitter.
“Stunts like wanting Ganesha and Lakshmi images on currency notes are vain & counterproductive. We don't want crumpled Lakshmis & twisted Ganeshas in stained chai (tea) shops.”
Many agreed the idea of gods on currency would be an insult. “Notes are stashed, torn and crumpled,” social media user Venkat said.
A Delhi High Court in 2014 came out against issuing coins with pictures of deities to commemorate religious events, saying it was against the constitution.
“By issuing a coin, you are celebrating a particular religion,” a bench of then-Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said.
Mr Kejriwal, a former revenue officer, entered politics a decade ago with a vision of inclusiveness and a developmental agenda. He fought elections on issues like anti-communalism and corruption.
But since sweeping polls and forming a government in 2015 in Delhi, Mr Kerjiwal and his Aam Aadmi Party has been accused of increasingly indulging in Hindu majoritarian politics.
His party often targeted Mr Modi’s BJP for being “communal”, but on many occasions has tried to prove Hindu antecedents.
During the 2020 election campaign, he sang Hindu songs during television interviews and after winning organised a visit to a Hindu temple to seek blessings.
His party built a replica of Ram Mandir, the temple being constructed on land where the demolished Babri Masjid mosque once stood, at a Delhi stadium for Diwali in 2020.
His government is sponsoring a free Hindu pilgrimage for Delhi residents across India.
Many opposition parties have accused him of using the tactics to appease Hindu voters in view of the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat states later this year.
AAP harbours ambitions to be a national political party. It won elections in northern Punjab state earlier this year.
“There is a limit to the way religion can be used as an instrument,” said Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India.
She accused Mr Kejriwal of misusing religion for narrow political purposes, having previously talked “about health, education and development”.
The BJP, which banks on Hindu voters, also called Mr Kejriwal’s remarks a political gimmick.
“Their minister, Gujarat chief and leaders abused Hindu gods … and yet they are in the party,” said Manoj Tiwari, a BJP parliamentarian.
“They're bringing new tactics to save face in polls. Those who objected to Ram Mandir have come with a new mask.”
The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
