Tricolour politics takes centrestage: How Opposition is countering BJP's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign

With the Independence Day just five days away, the politics around tricolour seems to have taken to the centrestage. The BJP’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign has triggered similar campaigns by other political parties, to ensure that they are not left behind on the nationalism plank. 

The parties, particularly the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, have not just planned events on big scale, but have also taken potshots at the BJP. 

On Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that ration card holders were being forced to buy the national flag by the shopkeepers, and accused the BJP of selling “nationalism” and hurting the poor's self-respect.      

In a Facebook post in Hindi, Gandhi said tricolour is our pride and it resides in every Indian's heart. "Nationalism can never be sold. It is shameful that while giving ration, poor are being asked to cough up Rs 20 for the tricolour," Gandhi alleged.

Earlier in the day, BJP MP Varun Gandhi too had alleged that ration card holders were being forced to buy the national flag as a condition to avail the ration. He said it will be unfortunate if the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Independence become a burden on the poor.

With its ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the BJP government aims at hoisting 20 crore flags atop houses across the country for three days, from August 13 to August 15. 

On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal unfurled the 500th high-mast tricolour as part of its campaign to hoist national flags across the Capital. It has also set a target of putting up 80 lakh such flags across residences, government and private establishments from August 13 to 15.

Amid the war of words over 'revdi culture', Kejriwal advocated for making free education, world-class healthcare and employment for all fundamental rights, saying these are not freebies but the duty of a responsible government.

He noted that there is a need to eradicate 'Pariwarwaad' (dynastic politics) and 'Dostwaad' (to favour friends), and also slammed the Congress and the BJP, saying one party exploited its power by spending public money on its family members and the other did so on its "friends".

The same day in Punjab, Congress chief Amrinder Warring launched the five-day ‘Tiranga Yatra’ from Khemkaran in Tarn Taran district of the state. Senior leaders in the state have been assigned 75 km each as the party expects to cover 2,000 kilometres in five days.

In Uttar Pradesh, as the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government is planning to hoist 4.5 crore flags between August 11 and 17, Opposition parties, such as the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have also introduced their own campaigns.