'History stands witness...': Congress leader Rahul Gandhi takes dig at BJP, RSS over 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign

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New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 3, 2022) took a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Har Ghar Tiranga campaign while sharing a picture of himself visiting Karnataka Khadi Village Industries. The Congress leader in a tweet shared a series of pictures of himself posing with the National Flag and ironing one, with the caption that the history stands witness that those who are running the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign have come from the anti-national organisation which did not hoist the Tricolour for 52 years. 

"It was a great pleasure to meet all the colleagues of Karnataka Khadi Village Industries. History is witness that those running the 'Har Ghar Tricolor' campaign have come out of the anti-national organization which did not hoist the tricolor for 52 years. From the freedom struggle, they could not stop the Congress party even then and will not be able to stop it even today," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. The tweet comes soon after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) yesterday sealed the Young Indian office in the National Herald premises and barricaded the party headquarters and the residences of the Gandhis.

pic.twitter.com/tp2fjLki75 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 3, 2022

On the completion of 75 years of independence, the central government has been conducting various programmes in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Meanwhile, BJP appealed to the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and other opposition parties not politicising the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign we all should unite and celebrate the National Flag.

BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra appealed to all the parties by holding a press conference and said, "The 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign is not a political programme, it is a government programme. That's why today when the Tiranga bike rally took place in Delhi, this call was made by the Ministry of State for Elementary Affairs and Culture, a ministry of the Government of India. It was given that let's do tricolour bike rally together in Delhi and its flag-off was done by the hands of Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu Ji because it is a politically neutral programme."

"Politics is happening on this as well, a lot of statements are coming on this. BJP would like to request parties without naming them only with folded hands. Tricolour belongs to everyone and if all MPs participate in it, this animosity," he said.

Earlier, on Sunday, PM Narendra Modi in his latest Mann ki Baat episode appealed everyone to change their social media display picture to the National Flag. 

Following this many Congress leaders launched a counter on BJP and changed party's official Twitter account to the image of Jawaharlal Nehru holding the National Flag. Party leaders also changed their social media photos to the same. 

"The pride of the country is our tricolour. Our tricolour is in the heart of every Indian," Rahul Gandhi tweeted as he changed his profile photo to Nehru holding the National Flag.

"In the Lahore session of 1929, while hoisting the flag on the banks of river Ravi, Pandit Nehru said, 'Once again you have to remember that this flag has now been hoisted. As long as there is a single Indian man, woman, child alive, the prestige of this tricolour should not be lowered," Congress leader Ramesh tweeted.

On the other hand, RSS has been questioned for not changing its social media photo to the National Flag. 

"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, private bodies and the Sangh-related organisations," RSS Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said.

“This is a process. Let us handle it our way. We are thinking about how to celebrate. The Sangh has already clarified its stand and supported all the programmes initiated by the Centre regarding the Amrit Mahotsav,” an RSS functionary said.