Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi over Lal Chowk flag hoisting
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a jibe at PM Narendra Modi over his recent Parliament speech, where he recalled his 1992 visit to Lal Chowk in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar to unfurl the national flag. Saying Congress instilled a love for the tricolor in Kashmir via its Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had snatched the tricolor's spirit.
Why does this story matter?
PM Modi's speech on his Srinagar visit came on February 8, just days after Gandhi concluded the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) at Lal Chowk by unfurling the tricolor. Meanwhile, Gandhi made the remarks on Modi on Sunday—the final day of Congress's three-day plenary session in Raipur, reportedly attended by 15,000 delegates. This session came nearly a month after the BJY concluded on January 30.
Know about Gandhi's latest swipe at PM Modi
Gandhi claimed Modi unfurled the tricolor at Lal Chowk with 15-20 BJP members, but with the BJY, it was hoisted by the hands of "lakhs of Kashmiri youngsters." "I heard the PM's speech in Parliament. He said he unfurled the tricolor at Lal Chowk. Narendra Modi ji unfurled the tricolor with 15-20 BJP people. The PM did not understand the difference," Gandhi claimed.
Kashmir felt like home to me: Gandhi
Talking about the BJY, Gandhi further said, "52 years passed, and I still don't have a home, but when I reached Kashmir, it felt like home. The yatra was to make people of all castes and age groups feel at home." "People were not talking about political things to me during yatra, but it all changed when I reached Kashmir," the Wayanad MP added.
Video of Gandhi's address on Sunday
Recalling Modi's Lal Chowk comments in Parliament
On February 8, Modi said in Parliament, "After unfurling the tricolor at Lal Chowk (in 1992), people and media asked me usually our national flag is honored by our armed forces on January 26." "I told them today even the armed forces of the enemy are saluting our national flag," he said, adding the times have now changed, seemingly undermining Gandhi's Lal Chowk visit.
See how times have changed in J&K: Modi
Pointing out how times have changed in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said, "Today there is peace. You can go there fearlessly in a group of hundreds." "Some people used to say that there can be a problem due to the tricolor in Jammu and Kashmir. See how the times have changed; even those people are participating in the Tiranga Yatra," the PM said.
Know about Congress's pan-India Bharat Jodo Yatra
On January 30, Congress' pan-India Bharat Jodo Yatra ended in Srinagar, nearly five months after it started from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022. Gandhi unfurled the national flag in the presence of his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and a few more top Congress leaders at the Lal Chowk to mark the end of the 4,000km foot march.
