Tweeples and Facebook users have reacted angrily at pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on government calendars and diaries showing him in Mahatma Gandhi's iconic charkha pose, replacing the man who founded the Khadi movement in India in 1920 to boycott foreign goods.
The pictures, showing Modi working at the traditional spinning wheel, striking Gandhi's classic pose, have appeared on the covers of 2017 calendars and diaries published by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
The issue, which also sparked protests by KVIC employees in Mumbai on Thursday, trended on Twitter as well as on Facebook.
Many in the virtual world were angry even as some of them said it was a non-issue.
व्हाट्सएप्प उद्योग के लिये झूठ कातते हुए नये बापू। pic.twitter.com/XFYJWPQr0x
— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) January 13, 2017
"Today I take a pledge not to buy Khadi products till such time #Modi apologizes to Nation for replacing Gandhiji photo by his own photo," wrote Kumar @RamUK_R.
"You can't replace Mahatma and neither can you remove the picture of Mahatma from our heart, heart of India," Seema @seemaadhikari wrote.
"He might declare himself the grandfather of the nation in future. PM Modi is on cover photo of calendar and diary weaving khadi on charkha as Gandhiji," Akbar Askari wrote on Twitter.
Waiting for Rahul Gandhi to slowly become Rahul Modi.
— Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) January 13, 2017
Manoj Kumar Yadav @itsmkyadav wrote: "Gandhiji laid the foundation of Khadi culture to curb English textile business in India and Modiji is curbing Gandhi ideology from Khadi."
Aarti wrote on the microblogging site that it was "unacceptable" to have Modi replacing Gandhi.
"Modi wore a Rs 10-lakh suit with pin stripes of his name. Changes clothes three times, replaced Mahatma Gandhi's photo who flaunted a Khadi dhoti."
But Girish Alva ?@girishalva said the move will only promote Khadi in the country.
"For me picture of a man wearing Khadi fashion will promote Khadi better than Gandhi."
