PRAGUE, Feb 25: Former Czech president Vaclav Havel opposes plans to send a giant neon heart which temporarily adorned Prague castle to Kabul, warning that it might cause religious offence, a newspaper said on Saturday.

The heart became a highly visible landmark in the Czech capital when Mr Havel gave permission for it to be erected on Prague castle, the official residence of the president, at the end of 2002.

It was one of his last acts before stepping down as president in February 2003. It was meant to be a symbol of peace and hope and could be seen from kilometres away.

“We have had indications that the heart could be taken as a religious symbol and be the cause, for example, of conflict,” the Czech daily Dnes quoted Havel’s secretary, Jakub Hladik, as saying.

The designer of the heart, Czech artist Jiri David, said the company owning it, WDO, had come up with the idea of transporting it to Afghanistan a year ago and that he had welcomed the initiative.—AFP