Modi Govt planning to remove Gandhi's image from currency notes, claims CPI(M) MP

CPI(M) MP John Brittas has sparked a massive political controversy by claiming that the Narendra Modi-led government is planning to remove Mahatma Gandhi's image from Indian currency notes. Speaking to reporters, Brittas alleged that a "high-level meeting" has already taken place to discuss this shift, despite official denials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He argued that the real target of the ruling party is not just Jawaharlal Nehru, but the Father of the Nation himself, due to his secular stance against a 'Hindu Rashtra.'

These allegations come on the heels of the controversial passage of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, popularly known as the VB G RAM G Bill. This new legislation effectively replaces the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Critics and opposition leaders view the removal of Gandhi's name from this flagship rural employment scheme as a precursor to a larger ideological campaign to erase Gandhian symbols from the national identity.

Brittas emphasized that the renaming of schemes is part of a broader strategy to rewrite the nation's symbolic history. He pointed out that while the RBI has repeatedly denied any such proposal to change currency features, the "first round of discussions" at the top level suggests a change in the government’s thinking. The MP’s comments have intensified the debate over the government's intent behind replacing a scheme that supported nearly 16 crore households in the last fiscal year.