New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi's attire from the Red Fort on August 15 attracted everyone's attention this time too. But this time the discussion was not about the turban, but about his pocket square. Congress and BJP came face to face regarding this pocket square with tricolor colours.
Congress raised questions!
Congress spokesperson Pawan Kheda first raised the issue. He wrote on X, "It seems that sir has worn the tricolor in Urdu. Or celebrating Ireland's Independence Day instead of India's." Kheda was pointing towards the order of colours. Urdu is written from right to left, so he taunted.
After this, Congress's Supriya Srinet also took aim. He said, "What style of tricolor is this? This is reverse. It looks more like the flag of Ireland than the flag of India." According to Shrinate, the sequence of saffron-white-green in the pocket square was not like the tricolor.
BJP and social media answer
After Congress's comment, the debate intensified on social media. Many users said that PM Modi was not wearing the flag. The pocket square also did not have the Ashoka Chakra, so it is wrong to link it to the flag.
Santosh Parmar, who described himself as a BJP worker, wrote, "This is not a flag. This is a three-fold pocket square. Saffron is at the forefront, then white and finally green. The order is correct."
Some people also cited the flag code. According to the rule, when the tricolor is placed vertically, the saffron strip should be on the right side. To the observer it appears on the left side.
What did the PM wear and say on August 15?
This time PM Modi wore a brown jacket with white kurta-pajama. On the head was a red tie-and-dye turban featuring the famous 'Bandhej' art of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This was his 13th consecutive Independence Day speech.
In a speech lasting about 75 minutes, he presented 'Saptdhara', a 7-point roadmap for 'developed India' by 2047. The PM also addressed Gen-Z. He announced free online coaching for competitive exams and training of AI skills to 1 crore youth.
However, his comment on 'mindless Naxalites' in the speech created a new controversy. Congress passed it "clear sign of frustration" told. For the last few years, PM's turbans and now pocket squares have become the topic of discussion on Independence Day. This time the debate that started regarding the tricolor heated up the politics further.