RAIPUR: Taking cognizance of the Chhattisgarh High Court notice the Raman Singh government has issued guidelines to prevent the “improper use” of Gandhian logo - pictorial illustration of Gandhi’s spectacles with ‘Swachh Bharat’ — on dust-bins, public toilets and trash cans.
The General Administration Department released a circular to all district collectors and chief executive officers of the district panchayat in this regard. The circular stated that any sketch, image, photo of Mahatma Gandhi depicted under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should not be used in public toilets, on trash cans or at other filthy places and directed the authorities to enforce the provisions of The Prevention of insults to National Honour Act, 1971 while following the directive over the use of Gandhi’s images and photos.
Previous month a division bench of the High Court issued notices to the state government and the centre on a PIL seeking intervention against the “improper use” of Gandhian logo. The court sought the responses before February 20.
The PIL was filed by former Chhattisgarh minister Badruddin Qureshi. “Gandhiji is the father of the nation. How could anyone think of depicting his belongings (specs) or image near toilets? This is absolutely unacceptable. I have requested the court to intervene and prevent the practice,” Qureshi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while launching his nation-wide cleanliness campaign on October 2, 2014, said, “Swachh Bharat logo is not just a logo; through it, Gandhiji is watching us and so we all should clean India”.
Since then, the pictorial depiction of Gandhiji’s spectacles with ‘Swachh Bharat’ written near it has been used. At several places, sketches of Gandhiji have also been illustrated at the community toilets and on trash cans.