High Court notice to Reserve Bank of India on religious coins
Asks bank to answer the PIL filed against the issuance of Rs5 denomination coins
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-04-24 05:57 GMT
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Reserve Bank of India to file its response on a PIL against the issuance of Rs5 denomination coins, with the image of deity Mata Vaishno Devi inscripted on the reverse as it “may create problem if members of other community raises the issue”. A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog directed the Central government and RBI to give their reply on a plea asking ban on issuing of coins with religious symbol inscripted on them.
The court has posted the matter for August 20 and gave last opportunity to the Centre and RBI to file replies. The court is hearing a PIL filed by Delhi residents, Nafis Qazi and Abu Sayeed.The court was told that such currency with religious symbols on it is not good for the secular credentials of the government. The plea said that such coins is like indulging into anti secular actions.
“These symbols undermine the secular character, a basic feature of the constitution,” said the advocate appearing for petitioner. In 2010, the plea said the RBI brought into circulation a five rupee coin in celebration of 1,000 years of Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur, with its image embossed on it. In 2013, it issued another five rupee coin with the figure of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board embossed on it.
Earlier, the Centre had told the court that the coins were issued to commemorate the occasion of silver jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.