Congress should let its members display their pictures with Tricolour in social media profile: BJP’s Sambit Patra

“I feel Rahul Gandhi should give others a chance. It will be very good if his party workers display their picture with the Tricolour,” Sambit Patra said.

The BJP took a dig at the Congress on August 3 over its leaders displaying a picture of Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag in their social media profiles, saying Rahul Gandhi should look outside his family and allow party members to use their photos with the Tricolour. Asked about it at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "No issues. At least the Tiranga is coming up".

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He then went on to add, "I believe there should not be dynastic politics in every issue... They have displayed the picture of their leader who was the country's first Prime Minister. The Tricolour belongs to the poorest of the poor and to 135 crore Indians. Anyone can hold the tricolour and put it in their DP (display picture)... His [Gandhi's] family has been in politics from the beginning. I feel Rahul Gandhi should give others a chance. It will be very good if his party workers display their picture with the Tricolour," Mr. Patra added.

The country is honoured when an ordinary person, the last person in the queue, holds the national flag high and lauds the nation, he said. Mr. Patra also cited the election of Droupadi Murmu as the country's first tribal President in this context.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders made the Tricolour their profile picture on social media, Congress leaders and the party's official handles put a photograph of Nehru with the tricolour as their display picture on Twitter and other platforms.

In the press conference, the BJP spokesperson asked all parties, including those in the Opposition, to join the government's "Har Ghar Tiranga" programme, saying programmes such as this are beyond politics. Everyone should support it, he said, adding the Congress and other parties should also contribute.