New Delhi: A full-page advertisement of the
Tourism Ministry published today in leading newspapers has
come under the scanner of the Environment Ministry with Jairam
Ramesh protesting against depiction of an African-origin
elephant in it instead of an Indian tusker.
Sources in the ministry said that Environment Minister
Ramesh has written to Tourism Minister Selja Kumari to
register his protest against the "bloomer".
The full-page advertisement in the question was released
by Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) on
behalf of the Tourism Ministry to mark World Tourism day with
"Tourism and Biodiversity" as the theme for this year.
A part of the Tourism Ministry`s Incredible India!
campaign, the advertisement has shown a string of stamps on
endangered wildlife species such as peacock, rhino, tiger and
tourist hotspots in the country with slogan "Biodiversity: our
Greatest Treasure."
However, it is the image of the African elephant on the
stamp that has annoyed the Environment Ministry.
Such goof-ups on the part of the government departments
is not new. In early March, Indian Railways had to face
embarrassment when its advertisement in almost all the leading
newspapers on the day of inauguration of Maharajas` Express
from Kolkata to Nalanda showed Delhi in Pakistan.
-PTI
