Kejriwal writes to PM Modi for Lakshmi-Ganesh photos on currency notes

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who created a political flutter with his appeal to incorporate images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing forward the demand.

Claiming that the Indian economy was not in good shape, Kejriwal had on Wednesday said the country needed a lot of effort to get the economy back on track along with the "blessings of our gods and goddesses".

It's a wish of 130 crore Indians that there should a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side of currency notes and the photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on the other side, he wrote in the letter on Thursday.

"Tremendous support has been received on this issue. There is massive enthusiasm among the people and everyone wants this to be implemented immediately," Kejriwal claimed.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener said in the letter that Indian economy is passing through a very bad phase and India and is listed among developing countries despite 75 years of Independence.

"On the one hand, all countrymen need to work hard and on the other, we also need blessings of the deities so that our efforts bear fruits," Kejriwal wrote.

The country will progress only with a confluence of correct policy, hard work and blessings of the gods, he said.

Kejriwal's demand has evoked sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which called it an unsuccessful attempt to hide the "ugly anti-Hindu face" of the AAP in view of upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.