Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day attire, particularly his tricolour pocket square, became a subject of criticism from the Congress on Saturday. Several Congress leaders took aim at the colour arrangement, arguing that it appeared similar to the Irish flag. However, many social media users defended the Prime Minister, saying the pocket square was clearly intended to represent the colours of the Indian tricolour and should not be turned into a political issue.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was among the first to comment on the matter. He posted, “Lagta hai sahib ne Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai. Ya phir Bharat ki jagah Ireland ka Independence Day mana rahay hain” (Looks like PM Modi has worn the tricolour in Urdu. Or perhaps he is celebrating Ireland’s Independence Day).
Khera’s reference to Urdu was linked to the fact that the language is written from right to left, effectively reversing the colour order.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also criticised the arrangement, pointing out that the colours on Modi’s pocket square did not follow the saffron-white-green sequence of the Indian tricolour.
“What kind of style of the Tricolour is this? It's upside down. It looks more like Ireland's flag than India's,” Shrinate wrote.
SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA DEBATE
The Congress leaders’ comments quickly generated debate on social media. Several users criticised the Congress, arguing that Modi was not actually wearing the national flag because the pocket square did not feature the Ashoka Chakra and was instead a folded three-colour accessory.
One user, Santosh Parmar, who described himself as a BJP worker, said the item was “not a flag” but a three-fold pocket square arranged in sequence, with saffron at the front, followed by white and then green.
Another social media user referred to the Flag Code of India and the rules governing the display of the national flag in a vertical position.
Under the Flag Code, when the national flag is displayed vertically, the saffron band is required to be on the flag’s right side, which means it appears on the viewer’s left.
Modi’s Independence Day clothing has attracted considerable attention over the years, particularly the different turbans he has worn for the occasion.
WHAT PM MODI SAID ON INDEPENDENCE DAY?
For his 13th consecutive Independence Day address, which lasted around 75 minutes, Modi wore a traditional red tie-dye turban. Known as bandhej, the traditional craft is widely associated with Rajasthan and Gujarat.
He paired the turban with a white kurta-pyjama and a brown jacket.
During his speech, Modi presented a seven-point reform framework called ‘Saptdhara’ aimed at advancing the country towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
He also focused heavily on India’s youth, announcing free online coaching for competitive examinations and a programme to train one crore young people in artificial intelligence skills.
However, his remarks about “dimaagi Naxals” or ideological Naxals drew criticism from the opposition, with the Congress describing the warning as a “sign of desperation”.
