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Government offices in the state are allowed to display portraits and photographs of only eight leaders,namely,Mahatma Gandhi,Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,incumbent President and the Prime Minister,Mother (Goddess) India,Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad Mookherjee,the state government has said in reply to an RTI query,adding that some offices in districts are allowed to have pictures of local martyrs.
Dahyabhai Chouhan,a Dalit rights activist from Bhavnagar,had sought to know from the General Administration Department (GAD) in his RTI application about the photographs authorised by the state government to adorn its offices.
Chouhan also wanted to know as to who is responsible for unauthorised use of photographs. He also wanted details of unauthorised temples in government offices.
In response,M R Malik,the under secretary (protocol) at the GAD,said no ones responsibility had been fixed for unauthorised use of such photographs in government offices and that the government did not have a list of temples in its offices.
Chouhan said he the Supreme Court order and the Constitution prohibited use of religious photographs in government offices but in practice,several government offices used them. Many offices have temples and other religious structures. The purpose of this application is that its an unauthorised practice and being a secular state,we shall not do it. I am also going to fight for non-inclusion of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkars photos in the government list. It shows governments partiality, Chouhan said.
Malik said in his response to Chouhans query that the non-use of religious photographs in government offices has been an old instruction since 1960 and that instructions have been issued in this regard.
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