A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, changed their profile pictures on social media to the Tricolour, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, 3 August, targeted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that they had not hoisted India's national flag for 52 years after the country became independent.
Gandhi's comments came after the BJP leaders attacked the Opposition MPs for giving the 'Tiranga bike rally' a miss. The rally, from the Red Fort to Parliament, had been organised by the Ministry of Culture, and all the MPs were invited to participate in it.
Taking to Facebook, Gandhi said, "Lakhs of people laid down their lives to keep the Tricolour flying high. But one organisation always refused to adopt the Tricolour… it did not hoist the Tricolour at its headquarters for 52 years… insulted the Tricolour and today those who emerged from that organisation are talking about the history of Tricolour, organising a 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign.”
"I want to ask…why did the RSS not hoist the Tricolour at its headquarters for 52 years, why the livelihoods of those who make the National Flag are being destroyed," the Congress leader added.
He also questioned the RSS regarding why they had not changed their social media profile picture to the national flag.
'Issue Being Politicised': RSS Hits Back
The RSS, meanwhile, hit back saying that such things should not be politicised.
"The RSS has already extended its support to 'Har Ghar Tiranga' and 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' programmes. The Sangh had in July appealed for full support and participation of the people and swayamsevaks in the programmes to be organised by the government," RSS Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Without taking any names, an RSS leader said that the party which was raising such issues was responsible for the division of India.
Modi, in his latest Mann ki Baat radio programme, had urged everybody in the country to change their profile pictures on social media to the Tricolour.
As a retort, Congress leaders, including Gandhi, changed their social media display pictures to India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, holding the national flag.
The Congress leader also visited the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) in Hubbali on Wednesday. The unit is the only one in India authorised to manufacture and supply the Tricolour.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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