Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh photos on India's currency notes? Here's what Kejriwal appealed to PM Modi

Lakshmi, Ganesh photos on India's currency notes: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes.

During a media briefing, he said the photos of Ganesha and Lakshmi could be printed on fresh currency notes. He added that the new notes could have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of the two deities on the other.

Here's what Delhi CM said 

"Despite making efforts, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on our currency (notes). If there is a photo of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this"

He cited the example of Indonesia, a Muslim nation, that has a picture of Ganesha on its currency note. "When Indonesia can, why can't we? The photos can be printed on fresh (currency) notes," he said.

Lamenting the fact that the India economy was not in a good shape, he said the country was passing through a delicate situation with the rupee depreciating against the US dollar. "We all want India to be rich and every family here to be prosperous. We have to open schools and hospitals on a large scale," he added.

Lord Ganesha is inscribed on the 20,000 rupiah note of Indonesia. India's foreign exchange reserves during the week that ended on October 14 fell to an over two-year low of USD 528.367 billion, a drop of USD 4.5 billion from the previous week.

In the preceding week, the country's foreign exchange reserves were at USD 532.868 billion, RBI data showed. According to RBI's data, India's foreign currency assets, which are the biggest component of the forex reserves, declined by USD 2.828 billion to USD 468.668 billion during the week.

The value of gold reserves dropped by USD 1.5 billion to USD 37.453 billion during the week. The value of India's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund declined by USD 149 million to USD 17.433 billion during the week under review, the RBI data showed.

The reserves have been falling for months now because of RBI's likely intervention in the market to defend the depreciating rupee against a surging US dollar. For the record, the Indian rupee has been weakening over the past few weeks to hit fresh new all-time lows as the US dollar strengthened against major global currencies. 

(Inputs from agencies)