Rajasthan government and BJP’s elected representatives will use the image of RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya on the letterheads in their personal, official and semi-official communications from December 13, the day when BJP government completes its four years in power in Rajasthan.
A decision to use the image by BJP’s elected representatives was taken three months ago and is being extended to official communications now.
Although the design of the letterheads is not yet revealed, some apprehend that Upadhyaya may figure along with the image of the State Emblem of India, which is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, preserved in the Varanasi Sarnath Museum.
BJP insists that this is a way to honour Upadhyaya on his 100th birth anniversary and at the Centre too, some ministers have been using his image. A committee set up for the centenary celebrations took this decision which may be implemented at the Centre as well.
Congress has criticised the move and its state President Sachin Pilot called it an affront to democracy and questions if such a step is correct morally and legally.
According to Pilot, Upadhyaya could not have been equated with Gandhi and he feels it was an attempt to raise him to the level of the father of the nation and undermine the importance of the emblem simultaneously.
Gulab Chand Kataria, home minister and BJP leader says Upadhyaya’s work and his dedication to society are an inspiration to everyone.