Right To Information (RTI) reply has revealed that the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government bought copies of the Bhagavad Gita at almost Rs 38,000 each to be given as gifts to VVIPs during the International Gita Mahotsav organized in 2017.The government spent a total of almost Rs 3.8 lakh on buying ten copies of the Gita when normal copies are sold at a cost of around Rs 150-250 in shops across the country. Sources told the Times of India that 'special' copies were made for the event using expensive paper that made the holy book look like ancient manuscripts.
During the programme, actors-turned-politicians Hema Malini and Manoj Tiwari, who performed at the event, were given hefty amounts as ‘fees’ for their performances. The state paid Rs 15 lakh to Hema Malini for her musical dance drama performance and Rs 10 lakh to Manoj Tiwari for his cultural programme.Hisar resident Rahul Sehrawat, who filed the RTI query, has claimed that the response only accounts for expenses of Rs 4.32 crores, while reportedly around Rs 15 crore was sanctioned for the event.Sehrawat is planning to file an appeal and get details of the remaining expenses.