Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sharing a historical fact involving India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the tricolour, calling it a “hypocrisy”. While making an appeal to the people of India to hoist or display the tricolour at their homes between August 13-15, PM Modi posted a picture of the first tricolour unfurled by Nehru and details of official communications leading to the adoption of tricolour as the national flag.
“Today, 22nd July has a special relevance in our history. It was on this day in 1947 that our National Flag was adopted. Sharing some interesting nuggets from history including details of the committee associated with our Tricolour and the first Tricolour unfurled by Pandit Nehru,” the prime minister said in a tweet.
He added, “Today, we recall the monumental courage and efforts of all those who dreamt of a flag for free India when we were fighting colonial rule. We reiterate our commitment to fulfil their vision and build the India of their dreams.”
The series of tweets triggered a scathing response from senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh.
“Hypocrisy Zindabad!” the Congress leader wrote on Twitter.
“From someone who is destroying livelihoods of those who make national flags from Khadi, once described by Nehru as the livery of India’s freedom.”
He added, “From someone who was a pracharak in the organisation that took 52 years to hoist the National Flag in Nagpur!”
The Flag Code of India, 2002 was amended in December 2021, allowing manufacture and import of polyester and machine-made flags. Congress has been demanding the withdrawal of the amendment, alleging that the BJP has no understanding of the freedom struggle and its symbols.
“By permitting the import of machine-made and imported polyester flags, PM Modi has attacked the essence of ‘khadi’ and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. While ensuring that thousands of workers lose their jobs, he has also made a mockery of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, making it into ‘Har Ghar Mein Cheen Ka Bana Hua Tiranga’. The self-styled champion of ‘khadi’ will preside over the death of ‘khadi’, revealing himself to be a ‘Polyester Monopolist’,” Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar told reporters earlier this month.