The timing of Kejriwal's currency appeal comes on the day when Mallikarjun Kharge was officially anointed as the new Congress president, and after the mega Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya in which PM Modi participated

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Himachal and Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider including the pictures of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha in currency notes as they would earn the blessings of the Hindu deities and strengthen the economy. Kejriwal further said if Indonesia can do it, so can India.

It seems that Kejriwal’s appeal clearly has less to do with the economy and more to do with appeasing to the Hindu voters, in an unabashed attempt to corner the ruling BJP on the latter’s core Hinduvta plank. Therefore, Kejriwal’s words have got under the skin of the BJP.

Immediately, after Kejriwal’s appeal, BJP’s Sambit Patra took pot-shots at him on Wednesday, and said that “there is a song in a Hindi film – ‘kya ho gaya dekhte dekhte’”. During the press conference, Patra also said, “Kashmiri Pandit ko dilli me naukri dene se inkaar karne waale Arvind Kejriwal, Kashmiri Pandit ke upar hasne wale Arvind Kejriwal, aaj achanak jo Hindu banne ki chesta kar rehein hain, ye U-turn ki parakasta hai." The BJP has attempted to paint Kejriwal as someone who suffered from the ‘imposter syndrome’ and was a ‘chunavi Hindu’.

Meanwhile, AAP also held a series of press conferences to amplify Kejriwal’s appeal and corner the BJP into taking a position on its currency appeal.

(With inputs from agencies)