By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 14 May 2015: A full-page advertisement from the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has been published in all major dailies of different languages in New Delhi Thursday. The result of the Wednesday verdict of the Supreme Court on government advertisements in newspapers is fully visible in the ad for “Ustaad” scheme launched by the ministry – a smiling photo of only Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears in the ad while the two minority affairs ministers are available only in ‘words’.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday prohibited the use of photographs of political leaders, including ministers, in advertisements issued by the government and its agencies. The apex court bench, however, permitted the use of photographs of the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and departed leaders, including Father of the Nation, in the government advertisements. The court said the use of photographs of an individual, leader or minister not only has a tendency to associate an individual with a project, but leads to a personality cult.
PM Narendra Modi in a full-page ad in Indian Express on 14 May 2015 a day after Supreme Court verdict on govt ad.
After this verdict, it was expected that practically only PM’s photo will be seen on central government advertisements because it is a common sense that President or Chief Justice may not like his photo on advertisements of ministries or government schemes.
The same has happened today when the Minority Affairs Ministry ad has photo of only PM. Only names of Union Minister Dr Najma Heptulla and her deputy Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are displayed in the ad. The ad is about “Ustaad” scheme, which the ministry says, would augment and preserve rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts and build capacity of traditional arisans/ craftsmen.
PM Narendra Modi in a full-page ad in Urdu daily Roznama Sahara on 14 May 2015 a day after Supreme Court verdict on govt ad.
The Supreme Court’s verdict prohibiting use of photos of politicians and ministers except PM on government advertisements could help Modi further develop his own larger than life image.
From his day one in the highest executive office of the country, Narendra Modi, as commonly observed, has successfully tried to sideline or cut his competitors in his party BJP and government down to size – the political status of LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and many other stalwarts of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is before all to see. For the first couple of months after installation of his government following big victory in the May 2014 General Elections, virtually no ministers of his cabinet were allowed to talk to the media. It was Prime Minister Modi and Modi all around. The trend, in one way or the other, has almost continued till date. In that backdrop, the Supreme Court’s verdict prohibiting use of photos of politicians and ministers except PM on government advertisements could help him further develop his own personality cult – ironically though the apex court has justified its verdict to discourage personality cult of politicians.
