Confronting opposition anger over images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi spinning the charkha instead of Mahatma Gandhi on the 2017 calendars and diaries of the state-run Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), top government sources today alleged a "baseless and unnecessary controversy".

"There are several instances when Gandhi's picture was not on KVIC material. In 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2013 and 2016, Gandhiji was not there on the calendar and diary. There is no rule that only Gandhi's picture has to be on the calendar," KVIC sources told ANI. It is wrong to say that the Prime Minister replaced Gandhi's image, sources said.


Mahatma Gandhis great grandson Tushar Gandhi said that the governments decision to replace the picture of Father of the Nation on Khadi Udyogs calendar was a well-planned strategy to gain credibility.


This government is very prone in making mistakes, but this doesnt seem to be a mistake. This seems to be like very thought out and well-planned strategy to gain credibility, Tushar told media.


He further appealed to Prime Minister Modi to disband the KVIC while terming it as an inefficient and incapable organisation. I appeal to the Prime Minister as he has become the mascot of most inefficient, incapable and insincere organisation to disband the KVIC, he added.


"Modi ji is a youth icon and the increasing popularity of Khadi products among youths is an example of this," the sources said, stating that the Khadi body's sales, "restricted to 2-7 percent for 50 years under Congress", rose to 34 per cent in the last two years.


Leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacted sharply on Twitter.

"Becoming Gandhi requires years of austerities. One cannot become Gandhi by acting to spin the Charkha, this would only ridicule them," Mr Kejriwal tweeted.

Mamata Banerjee commented: "Gandhiji is the Father of the Nation. Modi ji what???"