National flag to saffron remark: BJP leader booked in Kerala

Palakkad: Police have registered a case against Kerala BJP leader N Sivarajan for his controversial remark that the saffron flag of RSS should be made the national flag of India. The case was registered by Palakkad Town South Police, charging the leader with offences of delivering provocative remarks with the intention of creating a riot.

The leader was attending a protest by the party in the state against the Bharat Mata row in which state education minister V Sivankutty refused to attend a government event organized in Raj Bhavan, which placed the RSS propaganda image of ‘Bharat Mata’ on the stage.

Shivrajan had also said that political parties should be banned from using flags similar to the national flag. According to him, Congress should use the green flag, and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who apparently do not know Indian history, should use the Italian flag, mocking the Congress senior leaders personally.

The Palakkad Block Committee had filed a complaint with the police regarding the Sivarajan’s controversial national flag remark. The complaint demanded that various sections of sedition be charged.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sivarajan claimed that the RSS saffron flag has a rich history spanning centuries, and the flag does not represent the Hindutva organization but symbolizes India’s culture, heritage and spiritual legacy. From Lord Krishna to Swami Vivekananda and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the BJP leader claimed the saffron flag has long represented Indian identity.

He also claimed that there were multiple instances in the past where requests were made before the Prime Minister’s office to change the national flag to saffron. Therefore, it is up to the Central government to make an appropriate decision since crores of Indians wish the flag to become saffron, the leader claimed.