Union Government defends practice of issuing coins having religious symbols embossed on them

The Union Government in an affidavit filed in a Public Interest Litigation instituted by Delhi residents Nafis Qazi and Abu Sayeed, through lawyer A Rasheed Qureshi in the Delhi High Court seeking withdrawal of coins having religious symbols embossed on them, has taken the stand that the Centre had powers under the Coins Act to issue coins to commemorate a particular historical or religious event. 

(Picture: Delhi High Court)

"It is submitted that the design of coins is the responsibility of the central government under Section 4 of the Coinage Act, 2011. It is further submitted that the design of bank notes is governed by the provisions of section 25 of the RBI Act, 1934 which provides that the design, form and material of bank notes shall be such as may be approved by the central government after consideration..”

"In the recent past also, the government of India has issued commemorative coins to mark landmark events such as 300th anniversary of Gurta-Gaddi of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji in 2008, 1000 years of Barihadeeswara Temple in 2010, birth centenary of Mother Teresa in 2010, birth centenary of Saint Alphonsa in 2009 and Bhagwan Mahavir in 2002.

"The commemorative coins have been issued under relevant provisions of the Coinage Act, 2011. As such, the issuance of such coins by the respondents is not in violation of any constitutional, statutory and contractual right of the petitioners," the affidavit said.

The petitioners have filed the petition seeking a direction to the RBI and the Finance Ministry to withdraw the coins brought out in 2010 and 2013 with religious symbols embossed on them.

The petition has come up before a Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw.