1.3 bn Indians want pictures of Lakshmi, Ganesh on currency: Kejriwal

Blessings of the Almighty are necessary for hard work to translate into success, Kejriwal said

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said "130 crore Indians" want pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes.

Blessings of the Almighty are necessary for hard work to translate into success, the Aam Aadmi Party leader said. Kejriwal reiterated his demand to print pictures of the two Hindu deities on currency notes at a rally at Morva Hadaf in Panchmahal district of Gujarat where Assembly elections are expected to be announced soon. "If there is a picture of Ganesh and Lakshmi ji on a note, the country will progress. I am not saying that the country will make progress only by printing their pictures, we will also work hard. People of the country will work hard. We will devise the right policies," he said.

"But however hard you may work, unless you get the blessings of the Almighty, hard work does not succeed.....This is why I said there should be pictures of Ganesh and Lakshmi ji (on currency notes)," the AAP leader added. Both the BJP and Congress were "abusing" him after he made the demand, he said. "I want to tell the BJP and Congress that 130 crore people of the country want the pictures of Ganesh and Lakshmi on the note," the AAP leader said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has described Kejriwal's demand as an unsuccessful attempt to hide the "anti-Hindu face" of his party during Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections.

Kejriwal on Friday also said that the first thing his party's government will do in Gujarat is to end corruption, like it did in Delhi and Punjab.

The ill-gotten wealth of corrupt MLAs and ministers will be recovered, he said. "No chief minister or MLA will steal. And if he does, he will go to jail....Even my son or my brother will go to jail if they steal," the Delhi CM said.

Talking about inflation, he said he will help people like a family member. "Gujarat has the highest inflation in the country. I will first rid you of inflation. After March 1, you will not be required to pay electricity bills. I will do it for you," Kejriwal said.

The packages of Rs 30,000 crore which Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for Gujarat made only ministers and contractors happy as they will get more money to pocket, he claimed. "The public will get nothing. I can't give you Rs 30,000 crore, but I will give you benefits worth Rs 30,000 per month," he said.

After the AAP comes to power, a family will save Rs 3,000 on electricity bills, Rs 10,000 on education expenses, three women in the family will get Rs 3,000 and two unemployed youths will get Rs 6,000 as per his party's poll "guarantees", he said. The Congress and BJP do not want to provide free education and free electricity because "if this is done, they will have nothing left to loot," Kejriwal said. "I am a part of your family, will I ask for money for the education of your children? Your children are mine. If I get your family member treated, will I ask for money?....BJP has opened shops. They sell schools, children, hospitals, medicines...We do not sell humans, education, medicines," he said. There was no point in voting for the Congress, the AAP leader further said.

"Half the Congress went to the BJP, the remaining half will go after the election. Don't let the votes get split due to Congress. All the votes should come to AAP," he said.