File photo of Mahant Avaidyanath.
A spiritual leader and former BJP lawmaker who played a key role in the campaign for a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be the face of a new stamp to be released by the government.
Stamps in the name of Mahant Avaidyanath will be released on October 1.
The decision comes as the government battles a controversy after discontinuing stamps in the name of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress.
"The late Mahant Vaidyanath commands immense respect across the country," top government sources said.
Avaidyanath, a spiritual leader from the Gorakhdham temple, was at the forefront of the movement for a temple at the site where the 16th century Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu activists in 1992.
He was a five-time legislator and elected four times to Parliament, once as a Hindu Mahasabha candidate, once as an independent and twice as a BJP nominee. He was also the mentor and predecessor of BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath, who is known for his controversial statements.
The Centre's move to drop Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi stamps has provoked protests by the Congress, which alleges that the ruling BJP is trying to erode the legacy of its iconic leaders because of petty politics.
Defending the decision, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said: "All those who contributed to the freedom struggle or in the creation of modern India should be honoured. It cannot be the prerogative of one family."
The Indira and Rajiv Gandhi stamps were a part of the "Builders of Modern India" series, which has now been replaced by "Makers of India" theme to include many more names.
Notable additions to the list are Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rabindranath Tagore and BJP ideologues like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
The stamps of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Mother Teresa have been retained.