Flag this: How political parties are trying to hijack BJP’s grand ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign

“Har Ghar Tiranga” has become the buzzword this August. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign to hoist at least 20 crore flags in houses across the country from August 13 to August 15 to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day is gaining momentum. The sale of the Tricolour has soared, patriotic fervour has gripped the country, and politicians are doing what they generally do – competing with each other to prove their love for the country.

Also read: India@75: Inside the country’s only certified flag-making unit in Karnataka

Rivals of the BJP are jumping onto the Tiranga bandwagon – launching their versions of the flag initiative, albeit at a much smaller scale.

We take a look at what the saffron party is doing and how others are trying to match up.

BJP’s motorcycle rallies, Tiranga Yatras, and more

As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the government’s grand programme for this Independence Day, several MPs, including central ministers and young parliamentarians, took part in a motorcycle rally in Delhi on 3 August that originated from the historic Red Fort.

The ‘Tiranga Yatra’ is also catching on. The BJP’s Karnataka unit took out a rally in Bengaluru on Tuesday, which saw several party workers carrying the national flag as they walked the streets.

“Glimpses of the Tiranga Yatra organised by the @BJP4Karnataka Byatarayanapura Mandal in Namma Bengaluru. Every time I hold Our National Flag in my hands, I feel energised and motivated to contribute even more to Our great Nation. Bharat Mata ki Jai,” tweeted BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi, who lead the yatra.

Glimpses of the Tiranga Yatra organised by the @BJP4Karnataka Byatarayanapura Mandal in Namma Bengaluru.

Every time I hold Our National Flag in my hands, I feel energised and motivated to contribute even more to Our great Nation.

Bharat Mata ki Jai 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/AWkliG5gtt

— C T Ravi 🇮🇳 ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) August 9, 2022

In BJP-ruled Assam, more than 53 lakh national flags worth Rs 16.07 crore have been sold so far. The state government had set a target of hoisting 80 lakh national flags atop residences, government and private establishments and educational institutions as part of “Har Ghar Tiranga”.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath-led government is planning to hoist 4.5 crore flags between August 11 and 17. The BJP’s minority front is reaching out to five lakh Muslim families to hoist a flag in each of their homes. The plan is to reach out to dargahs and madrassas to spread the message, according to a report in India Today.

Other states like Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are also holding similar rallies and celebrations. But not all by politicians. At Delhi University, students and teachers were seen walking with the Tricolour; schools in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are having programmes of their own, and the Hawk Force personnel, part of the Central Armed Police Force, which is deployed in the most sensitive areas of MP, also participated in the campaign.

Indian Army personnel near the Line of Control in Jammu’s Poonch and the Border Security Force (BSF) held Tiranga rallies. Preparations are in full swing across Jammu and Kashmir to put up the flag in government departments, schools, and homes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded textile workers from Gujarat’s Surat who took out a five-kilometre Tiranga Yatra Wednesday. The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has become an identity of “duty-bound citizen of India”, the PM said.

“The tricolour of India does not only contain three colours, but our tricolour is a reflection of the pride of our past, our commitment to the present and our dreams of the future. Our tricolour is a symbol of India’s unity, integrity and diversity,” Modi added.

The Congress’ flag politics

The flag should truly bring everyone together. In many ways it has, but some politicians have plans of their own.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday 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 self-respect of the poor.

In a Facebook post in Hindi, Gandhi said that the Tricolour was our pride and it resided in every Indian’s heart. “Nationalism can never be sold. It is shameful that while giving rations, the poor are being asked to cough up Rs 20 for the tricolour,” Gandhi alleged.

BJP MP Varun Gandhi made a similar allegation on Tuesday.

आजादी की 75वीं वर्षगाँठ का उत्सव गरीबों पर ही बोझ बन जाए तो दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण होगा।

राशनकार्ड धारकों को या तिरंगा खरीदने पर मजबूर किया जा रहा है या उसके बदले उनके हिस्से का राशन काटा जा रहा है।

हर भारतीय के हृदय में बसने वाले तिरंगे की कीमत गरीब का निवाला छीन कर वसूलना शर्मनाक है। pic.twitter.com/pYKZCfGaCV

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) August 10, 2022

A few days ago, Rahul and sister Priyanka Vadra-Gandhi paid heed to Modi’s request to change profile pictures ahead of Independence Day. Unlike the PM, they did not change their Twitter profile photos to only that of the Tricolour. The siblings added a twist: Their profile pictures have the flag but it’s a painting of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru holding it.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring launched a five-day “Tiranga Yatra” from Tarn Taran on Tuesday. Leaders of the Punjab unit of the party will cover about 2,000 kilometres from 9 August to 14 August and each has been assigned 75 kilometres. The programme, organised by senior party leader and former MLA Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, makes no mention of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

Warring said the Congress “unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party or any other political party in the country, had a great and glorious history of sacrifice for the national Tricolour”, reports The Indian Express.

The Congress in Maharastra has launched an “Azadi Gaurav Padyatra” in every district. State Congress chief Nana Patole, alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP, never participated in the Quit India movement of 1942. Today there is “a surge of patriotism” but it is fake, he said, targeting the BJP.

AAP’s target of 80 lakh flags

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday unfurled the 500th high-mast Tricolour at Mayur Vihar. The Aam Aadmi Party reportedly plans to put up 80 lakh such flags across residences, government offices and private establishments from August 13 to 15.

He also spoke about the controversy surrounding freebies and said free education, world-class healthcare and employment for all should be made fundamental rights of every citizen. “These are not freebies, waiving loans worth Rs 10 lakh crore for your friends is a freebie,” said the CM, taking a potshot at the PM.

Modi had earlier made a “rewri (sweet) culture” jibe aimed at freebie politics during the inauguration of the Bundelkhand Expressway last month.

The Delhi chief minister also said that there was a “need to eradicate Pariwarwaad (dynastic politics) and ‘Dostwaad’ (to favour friends)”, slamming 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”, reports The Indian Express.

SP and BSP join the campaign

However, not all political parties are looking at Independence Day celebrations as an opportunity for one-upmanship. In Uttar Pradesh, Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have also joined the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a campaign to hoist the national flag in every household in the state from Jhauvva village in the Kannauj district and will distribute the Tricolour among locals.

The BSP chief Mayawati asked Indians to hoist flags at their homes and celebrate 75 years of India’s freedom.

1. भारतीय तिरंगा झण्डा सभी को देश की आन व शान की याद दिलाता है तथा हर मेहनतकश भारतीय अपनी रोजी-रोटी की अनिवार्यता के कारण चाहे वो उसका प्रदर्शन नहीं कर पाता हो परन्तु वह राष्ट्रीय झण्डे का हमेशा दिल से जरूर सम्मान करता है।
(1/2)

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 9, 2022

“The Indian Tricolour reminds everyone of the pride of the country and every hardworking Indian may not be able to hoist the flag but he respects it with all his heart,” she wrote on Twitter, appealing to those who can express their happiness by putting it up.

With inputs from agencies

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