DHAKA: Workers from an Indian government department have protested against a decision to replace Mahatma Gandhi in their official calendar with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Staff at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) said that they were ‘pained’ by the decision.

It supports village-level industries, which Gandhi passionately promoted, reports the BBC.

The KVIC said it used Modi’s photos because he had also been a big supporter of village industries.

Khadi, which is hand-spun cotton, was used by Gandhi as a symbol of self-reliance and protest against British rule.

The commission traditionally uses Gandhi’s pictures in its official calendars and stationery. The decision to not include Gandhi this year has caused anger, despite a statement saying that he could “never be replaced”.

Some workers on Thursday refused to accept the new stationery and held a silent protest in the KVIC headquarters in Mumbai.

But the KVIC has defended the new calendar, which shows Modi emulating Gandhi in a classic pose, spinning cotton at an old-fashioned wheel.

“The entire khadi industry is based on Gandhi's philosophy, ideas and ideals, he is the soul of KVIC, so there is no question of ignoring him,” quoted KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena.

Saxena said the commission chose to use Modi’s pictures because he was “the biggest brand ambassador of khadi (hand woven) clothes”.

Modi's political opponents have criticized him. The chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted that “it takes more than one lifetime to become Gandhi”.

“Just posing with the spinning wheel does not make anybody Gandhi, one just become a subject of jokes,” he added.

BDST: 1819 HRS, JAN 13, 2017
BD