Congress MLA writes to PM Modi to do away with Mahatma Gandhi's portrait from Rs 2000 notes

New Delhi, Oct 7: An MLA from Rajasthan has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to do away with Mahatma Gandhi's portrait from Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes as the said denominations are widely used in cases of corruption.

Bharat Singh Kundanpur, Congress MLA from Sangod constituency in Rajasthan, sent the letter to the Prime Minister on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 152nd birth anniversary on 2 October. In the letter, he has demanded the replacement of Gandhi's portrait with his iconic spectacles.

Instead of having Gandhi's portrait in high-value currencies, it should be used on the notes in the denominations Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 200 as they are widely used by the poor and Gandhi throughout his life worked for the destitute.

"It is my suggestion that a picture of Gandhi's spectacles can be used on Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes. Ashok Chakra can also work effectively for this purpose," Kundanpur said in the letter.

In the letter, the MLA claimed that corruption had spread all over the country in the last 75 years and stated that a total of 616 graft cases were registered between January 2019 and December 31, 2020, in the state.

"Mahatma Gandhi symbolises truth and Gandhi's picture is printed on Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, which are generally used in practices of corruption and in exchange of bribes," he added.

He also added that Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currencies are used a lot in bars, thereby bringing disgrace to Mahatma Gandhi. "Gandhi's portrait should be removed from Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes and it should be used only on small currency notes which are used by the poor," the MLA said in the letter. PTI