Amid political uproar over new Khadi Gramdyog calendar featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana Minister Anil Vij has stoked a fresh controversy claiming that after khadi stationary, Mahatma Gandhi would be removed from notes as well.

Anil Vij has said that PM Modi is a bigger brand name than Mahatma Gandhi for khadi. "After Modi's association with khadi, there has been 14 per cent increase in sale of the products," Vij said.

At a public event in Ambala, Haryana Anil Vij said, "Khadi is not patented in the name of Mahatma Gandhi. The name of Mahatma Gandhi led to fall in sale of khadi products. Same happened with Rupee."

"The day Mahatma Gandhi came on the rupee, its devaluation started. Gradually, he will be removed from the notes also," Anil Vij said.

MODI ON KHADI CALENDAR: THINGS TO KNOW The photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the calendar and the diary of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) yesterday kicked up a row with the opposition parties slamming the development. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), while dismissing the controversy as "unnecessary", said "there is no rule in KVIC that its diary and calendar should have only Gandhiji's photo." KVIC chairman V K Saxena also defended the move. Congress said, "Khadi and Gandhiji are symbols of our history, self-reliance and struggle. Removing Gandhiji's photo is a sacrilegious sin." The PMO sources defended it saying, "In the calendars and diaries of 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, there was no picture of Gandhi. So there is no question of Modi replacing Gandhiji's picture." "During Congress rule of 50 years, the sale of khadi remained restricted to 2 per cent to 7 per cent but in last two years, the sale has seen an unprecedented jump of 34 per cent. This is because of PM's efforts to popularize khadi," they added. KVIC is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament. Saxena was appointed as Chairman of KVIC in October 2015 by the Centre. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Anil Vij for saying that PM Modi was a better brand than Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul tweeted, "Hitler and Mussolini were also very powerful brands."

(With PTI inputs)

WATCH VIDEO: Khadi isn't patented with Gandhi: Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij