Guj govt plays down controversy on photographs in its ads

Gujarat Government today played down the controversy over alleged use of photographs of girls learning computers in Uttar Pradesh in its advertisement projecting how Muslims are better off in the state, saying the pictures were for "symbolic purpose" only.

Gujarat Government on Saturday played down the controversy over alleged use of photographs of girls learning computers in Uttar Pradesh in its advertisement projecting how Muslims are better off in the state, saying the pictures were for "symbolic purpose" only.

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Gujarat Information Commissioner V Thiruppugazh said the state government had hired an advertisement agency which released the ad in the Bihar dailies and the authorities will check with the agency if they it has made any mistake in selecting the photographs used in the ad.

"We came to know about the so called controversy from the newspapers only. Nobody has communicated with the Gujarat government regarding any photograph or the advertisement," he said.

"Nowhere in the advertisement, it is claimed that the photographs are from Gujarat as they are for the symbolic purpose only," he said.

Reports have claimed that one of the photograph in the advertisement showed girls learning computers in Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh and not from Gujarat and was taken from a US-based portal.

The advertisement was issued ahead of BJP's national executive meeting in Bihar capital Patna which is being attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.