New Delhi: The Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi has criticised the recent political use of Mahatma Gandhi in advertisements in Karnataka, saying that Gandhi is being portrayed in a “bad manner” to “suit party politics,” which poses a danger of sending the “wrong message.” The statement comes after the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released an advertisement showing Gandhi holding a stick to scare Congress leaders.Amid a heated debate over the VB-G RAM G Act, both the Congress and the BJP released a series of advertisements. First, Congress released ads featuring a fictional exchange involving a character named Sangappa – an apparent reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – where Gandhi is shown opposing the new job scheme.In response, the BJP issued an advertisement depicting Gandhi raising a stick at chief minister Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing them of spreading misinformation about the scheme.Without naming the BJP, the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, an autonomous charitable organisation dedicated to promoting Gandhian activities, objected to the portrayal of Gandhi in this manner, saying it ran contrary to his core principles of non-violence, Sarvodaya, and Satyagraha.“An advertisement that has recently appeared in leading daily newspapers of Karnataka depicts the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, in a manner that would shock anyone who understands Gandhiji’s philosophy. The way in which he has been portrayed is something that brings shame to the entire nation and is completely contrary to his core ideals such as non-violence, Satyagraha, and Sarvodaya,” said Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi president Wooday P. Krishna and honorary secretary M.C. Narendra in a statement.Further, they added: “It is our serious view that Gandhiji’s ideals are killed in this advertisement that has made the entire country to bend its head in shame.” “It is really a matter of concern that Gandhiji is being portrayed in a bad manner to suit party politics by some people though the entire world respects him as Mahatma. This also poses a danger of sending a wrong message to the youth.”Condemning what they called the misuse of Gandhi’s image, the organisation’s office-bearers said: “Even though it is not possible for them to take the message of Gandhiji’s ideals to youth, political parties should desist from using him in a way that would demean his personality and principles.”They also urged the media to handle such issues with greater responsibility.