PMO apologises, orders probe into ad goof-up

A government advertisement to mark the National Girl Child Day in major newspapers that included a photo of former Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed in uniform along with Indian leaders and icons, caused a major embarrassment to the government on Sunday.

The TV channels played up the goof-up by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Not finding it funny, the Prime Minister’s Office apologised to the nation and ordered an inquiry into the lapse.

In a damage control exercise, the PMO issued a statement saying, “The Prime Minister’s Office has noted with regret the inclusion of a foreign national’s photograph in a Government of India advertisement. While an internal enquiry has been instituted, the PMO apologises to the public for this lapse.”

This statement was in sharp contrast to the remarks by Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath who saw nothing wrong in the advertisement, insisting that the message was more important than the photograph.

The photograph of Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed appeared along with those of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. It also showed sports icons Kapil Dev and Virender Sehwag and sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The headline said: "Where would you be if your mother was not allowed to be born?"

However, the minister was unfazed. An unrepentant Krishna Tirath defiantly refused to accept the blunder and accused the media of hair-splitting. She said the "message was more important than the image. The photograph is only symbolic. The message for the girl child is more important.

She should be protected." Tirath told the media that whether the mistake was on part of her ministry or the DAVP which releases government advertisements, will be investigated. Tirath took cover under the excuse that no name was mentioned with the photo of the former PAF chief, saying "It was a photo of an officer in uniform and no name was mentioned.” Referring to the advertisement, she also said, "We are any way for global peace."

The mix-up made the IAF go livid, with senior officers saying that the use of the PAF officer's picture was a "big embarrassment". Ahmed had retired from PAF on March 18, 2009.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, sensing a chance to hit out at the Congress, commented that the desire to publish the photographs of its leaders has been a part of Congress ideology, which has backfired this time. BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy remarked “the goof-up in publishing the photo of a former Pakistan Air Chief was in consonance with the thought process of the Congress party."

- Asian Tribune -