PIL seeks halt to circulation of coins with Mata Vaishno Devi's image

The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked a petitioner to approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with his plea seeking an order restraining the RBI from circulating Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination coins with the image of deity Mata Vaishno Devi embossed on the reverse.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked a petitioner to approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with his plea seeking an order restraining the RBI from circulating Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination coins with the image of deity Mata Vaishno Devi embossed on the reverse.

A bench of chief justice NV Ramana and justice Pradeep Nandrajog asked Udayan Alung, the petitioner, to approach the banking regulator with his plea and made it clear that in case the RBI failed to respond, he could approach this court.

In his plea, the petitioner stated last month that he came to know that the RBI was to commemorate the silver jubilee of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and had in its two separate notifications earlier announced that it would circulate the coins.

"The decision was taken without realising the fact that this could hurt sentiments of different religions...," the plea said, seeking an order restraining the RBI from doing so.

"Making this move, the government is indulging in vote-bank politics just before the elections to appease a particular group," the plea said, adding that the coins with the image of Mata Vaishno Devi should not be issued as they will be used everywhere, including in liquor shops, bars, meat and chicken shops and other places..."