Mumbai: The controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo being featured on the Khadi and Village Industries Commission’s (KVIC) 2017 calendar shows no sign of dying down.
The KVIC has now sent a notice to Khadi Gramodyog Karmachari Sena (KGKS), the Shiv Sena-led union of khadi workers for their agitation against the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s photo from KVIC’s yearly calendar, and using Mr Modi’s picture in its place. The workers had undertaken a one-day ‘Atmaklesh’ agitation at the KVIC’s headquarters in Vile Parle recently.
The notice dated January 16 and sent by the deputy CEO to the general secretary of KGKS, asked an explanation for the protest on January 12. The notice said that the protest, held at KVIC’s Vile Parle office prayer hall, got wide publicity in social, TV and print media for two days, January 12 and 13. The notice asks protesters if they had taken prior approval from authorities before conducting the agitation. It also asks the protesters if they had prior permission of authorities for talking to the media over issues.
The sources said that KGKS has already replied to the notice, saying that the KGKS “had not gone to the media”. Meanwhile, KGKS chairman and Shiv Sena Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha, Anandrao Adsul, told the The Asian Age, “KGKS workers have not done anything wrong. To protest against mistakes in a Gandhian way is everybody’s right. Removal of Ghandhiji’s photo is a mistake. If authorities try to muzzle this lawful protest, then it is dictatorship. And we will fight this dictatorship.”
Congress also reacted aggressively to the issue. Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan said, “This whole episode of using Mr Modi’s photo is sad enough. Backlash over such usage is expected and now government is trying to whitewash the matter. Threatening workers through notice is also part of this strategy. But if government really wants to put this controversy to rest, then the Prime Minister must take moral responsibility and apologise to the nation.”
After Mr Modi’s photograph appeared on this year’s KVIC calendar, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had taken cognizance of it and expressed displeasure for using Mr Modi’s photo instead of Gandhi’s. The PMO also demanded for an explanation from KVIC.
