A political slugfest erupted on Wednesday after the Congress and some of its leaders changed their display pictures on social media accounts to an image of Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag, a move that prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hit out at the “dynastic” attitude.
The BJP also attacked opposition parties over their absence at a “Tiranga Bike Rally” in New Delhi to pay tribute to freedom fighters as part of the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” celebrations.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders made the national flag their profile picture on social media platforms, Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and the party’s official handle on Twitter and other social media platforms posted a photograph of Nehru with the tricolour as their display pictures.
“Our tiranga is the pride of our country, the tiranga is in the heart of every Indian,” Gandhi said in a tweet.
Taking a dig at Gandhi, the BJP said he should look outside his family and allow party members to use their photos with the tricolour.
“I believe there should not be dynastic politics in every issue… They have displayed the picture of their leader who was the country’s first prime minister. The tricolour belongs to the poorest of the poor and to 135 crore Indians,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
“Anyone can hold the tricolour and put it in their DP (display picture)… His (Gandhi’s) family has been in politics from the beginning. I feel Rahul Gandhi should give others a chance. It will be very good if his party workers display their picture with the tricolour,” he added. He, however, added, “At least the tricolour is coming up”.
The Congress’s media department head Pawan Khera and other party leaders, meanwhile, shared screenshots of Twitter handles of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its chief Mohan Bhagwat, pointing out that they had not changed their profile pictures to reflect the tricolour.
“People of the Sangh, at least now adopt the tricolour,” Khera tweeted.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a dig at Modi, asking if the organisation (RSS) that did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years will comply with the Prime Minister’s message to make the “tiranga” the profile picture of social media accounts.
“…Those who did not hoist the flag in their headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years, will they follow the Prime Minister’s message?” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Besides the tricolour, the BJP attacked the Congress and other opposition parties for not attending the bike rally.
“Culture Ministry organised a ‘Tiranga bike rally’ from the Red Fort to Parliament for the MPs of all parties this morning. Could see only BJP-NDA MPs. As per media- Cong/TMC/AAP/SP missing ? Does Tiranga belong to a party or nation? From Rashtrapati to Tiranga why such apman (insult)?” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a tweet.
Several lawmakers and central ministers participated in the bike rally that was flagged by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu along with Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal. It originated from the Red Fort and ended at Vijay Chowk.
Union minister Anurag Thakur, who also rode a bike, said the event was to give the message that “we are paying our tribute to our freedom fighters and remembering them”.
“It is also held to assure that in this Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we will work to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation, and enhance the glory of India,” he said.
Gandhi, meanwhile, visited a flag manufacturing unit in Karnataka’s Hubli district on Tuesday.
“Visited the National Flag making unit at Hubballi, along with Shri @RahulGandhi & @INCKarnataka leaders to extend solidarity to Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha’s protest against Central Govt’s decision to amend flag code & allow the use of machine-made polyester flags,” Congress MP K C Venugopal tweeted.
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