Saffron flag may become national flag some time in future, claims Minister K S Eshwarappa
Bengaluru, Feb 9: Senior BJP leader and Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa on Wednesday claimed 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag), may become the national flag some time in the future.
He, however, said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone.
"Hundreds of years ago the chariots of Sri Ramachandra and Maruthi had saffron flags on them. Was the tricolour flag there in our country then? Now it (tricolour) is fixed as our national flag, what respect it has to be given, should be given by every person who takes food in this country, there is no question about it," Eshwarappa said.
Responding to a question by reporters, whether the saffron flag can be hoisted on the red fort, he said, "not today, some day in the future."
"Discussions are today taking place in the country on 'Hindu vichara' and 'Hindutva'. People used to laugh at one point when we said Ram Mandir will be constructed in Ayodhya, aren't we constructing it now? In the same way some time in the future, after 100 or 200 or 500 years Bhagwa dhwaj may become the national flag. I don't know."
Further stating that now tricolour has been constitutionally accepted as the national flag, the Minister said, it should be respected, and those who don't respect it will be a traitor.
"...we are the people who hoist the saffron flag, not today some time in the future Hindu dharma will come to this country at that time we will hoist it on the Red fort, for now tricolour is our national flag, there is now doubt about it and we all respect it," the former state BJP chief added.
Eshwarappa was responding to state Congress president D K Shivakumar's claims that students hoisted saffron flag by replacing the tricolour at the Government First Grade College in Shivamogga, during an anti-hijab protest on Tuesday.
Calling Shivakumar's claims a lie, Eshwarappa, who hails from Shivamogga, alleged it as an attempt to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims.
"D K Shivakumar is a liar, let him prove it. Yes, the saffron flag was hoisted there, but the national flag was not lowered.....saffron flag can be hoisted anywhere, but not by lowering the national flag, it has not happened and will never happen. National flag was not removed, only the flagpole was used," he added.
Shivamogga college authorities and police officials too have clarified that the national flag was not lowered to put up a saffron flag.
"The pole was empty, the saffron flag was put up by some, it was later removed by them," they said.
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BJP president Nadda asks Congress to 'stop lying' on Ambedkar issue
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Thursday launched a fresh attack on the Congress over its treatment of B R Ambedkar as the ruling party's president J P Nadda asked the opposition party to "stop lying".
Nadda reiterated his party's accusations against the Congress for insulting and ignoring Ambedkar and his legacy, and cited the work undertaken by the Modi government to honour his legacy. His posts on X came amid the opposition's relentless attack on Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly insulting Ambedkar during his Rajya Sabha speech.
He told the Congress and its "rotten ecosystem" that they lost Lok Sabha polls for a third consecutive time in June and performed badly in a number of assembly polls. "In November, you lost badly in Maharashtra. At least now stop lying. Because your lies will not go unchecked. The truth will always win. Jai Bhim," he said.
Shah has in turn accused the Congress of distorting his remarks and has received strong support from the ruling party, including PM Modi. Nadda claimed the Congress and its rotten ecosystem have been exposed since Wednesday by all those who believe in truth, democracy and social justice.
He said, "So, I thought of sharing some facts to illustrate the deep Congress hate towards Dr Ambedkar. Pandit Nehru hated Dr Ambedkar. Yes, it was unfiltered hate. That is why Pandit Nehru got Dr. Ambedkar defeated twice."
Nehru, he alleged, was proudly writing to people overseas, expressing joy that Ambedkar was no longer in the Cabinet. Referring to the house in Alipur Road in the national capital where he breathed his last, Nadda said it should have been converted into a grand memorial that would inspire people long back. But "Ambedkar-hating Congress" did nothing and it was the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government which developed it into an "iconic place".
The "self-proclaimed custodians" of social justice in the Congress made empty promises of making a grand memorial at "Chaitya Bhoomi", where he was cremated, in Mumbai, but it was the Modi government which ensured in 2015 that the land transfer was done. Modi prayed there twice in recent years, Nadda added.
The BJP president also shared a post, now deleted, allegedly of Congress leader Sam Pitroda in which he had rated Nehru's contribution to the Constitution bigger than Ambedkar. Nadda said, "The most loyal courtier of the Dynasty spelt out what the Congress really thinks of Dr. Ambedkar - that he had no role in the making of our Constitution. Some screenshots indeed speak a thousand words." The X post can be deleted but their real feelings will never go, he added.
He also highlighted the Modi government's development of the Ambedkar International Centre against the Congress' alleged neglect to make his point. He said, "Congress leaders love spreading lies about India on foreign soil, but they never bothered about a place in London where Dr. Ambedkar himself lived. During PM Modi's 2015 UK visit, he went there, and subsequently, it was acquired by the Maharashtra Government."
Opposition parties' protest over Shah's remakes have stalled proceedings in Parliament since Wednesday.
