Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi objects to ‘wrong’ portrayal of Gandhiji in advertisement campaign in Karnataka

Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi condemns political misuse of Gandhiji's image in Karnataka advertisements, calling it a distortion of his ideals.

As the State recently witnessed a high-pitched media campaign by the Congress and the BJP using Mahatma Gandhi to air their views on the VB-G RAM G Act, the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi has taken exception to the use of Mahatma Gandhi to serve political purposes and has expressed concern that the Mahatma was depicted in a bad manner.

It may be noted that both the Congress and the BJP had issued advertisements in media that centered around Gandhiji. The Congress advertisements used a fictional conversation with Gandhiji by one Sangappa (in an obvious reference to the RSS) in which Gandhiji opposes the new job scheme. In a counter-attack, the BJP had issued an advertisement that showed Gandhiji raising a stick at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for alleged misinformation about the new job scheme.

Without taking the name of the BJP, the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi took serious exception to depiction of Gandhiji in such a manner and said this would go against his main ideology of non-violence, Sarvodaya and Satyagraha.

“It is our serious view that Gandhiji’s ideals are killed in this advertisement that has made the entire country to bend its head in shame,” said Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi president Wooday P. Krishna and honorary secretary M.C. Narendra.

“It is really a matter of concern that Gandhiji is being portrayed in a bad manner to suit party politics by some people though the entire world respects him as Mahatma. This also poses a danger of sending a wrong message to the youth,” they said.

Condemning the misuse of Gandhiji, the office-bearers of Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi said: “Even though it is not possible for them to take the message of Gandhiji’s ideals to youth, the political parties should desist from using him in a way that would demean his personality and principles.”