The BJP took a dig at the Congress on August 3 over its leaders displaying a picture of Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag in their social media profiles, saying Rahul Gandhi should look outside his family and allow party members to use their photos with the Tricolour. Asked about it at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "No issues. At least the Tiranga is coming up".
Comment | Har Ghar Tiranga — taking the National Flag into homes
He then went on to add, "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. 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," Mr. Patra added.
The country is honoured when an ordinary person, the last person in the queue, holds the national flag high and lauds the nation, he said. Mr. Patra also cited the election of Droupadi Murmu as the country's first tribal President in this context.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders made the Tricolour their profile picture on social media, Congress leaders and the party's official handles put a photograph of Nehru with the tricolour as their display picture on Twitter and other platforms.
In the press conference, the BJP spokesperson asked all parties, including those in the Opposition, to join the government's "Har Ghar Tiranga" programme, saying programmes such as this are beyond politics. Everyone should support it, he said, adding the Congress and other parties should also contribute.
With the government organising a 'Tiranga bike rally' earlier in the day, Mr. Patra noted that Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu had flagged it off and said his office is not associated with any politics.
Though the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, which had organised it in association with the Culture Ministry, said it had sent an invite to every MP, it was largely the BJP Parliamentarian who joined the exercise.
"Let's be Indian and let's celebrate India through the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Har Ghar Tiranga," he said, urging the Opposition to not politicise these programmes.
With the Opposition criticising the amendment in the Flag Code, Mr. Patra said the changes were necessary so that the national flag can be manufactured on a large scale and reach every household. For the first time since Independence, a programme to hoist the national flag at such a scale has been launched, he noted.
