Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday urged people to hoist the national flag from their houses from August 9 to 15 as he accused the BJP of feigning to respect the tri-colour.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier announced the celebration of Independence Week' from Aug 11-17 with the slogan 'Har Ghar Tiranga.' Yadav in a statement issued here appealed to the public to hoist the national flag a week ahead of Independence Day and questioned the BJP's patriotic credentials.
Yadav said "Those who had no role in the freedom movement of the country are working in name of patriotism. What respect will they give to the martyrs when they were not even distantly associated with the freedom movement?"
"The truth is that the BJP and its parent organisation RSS have never had any respect for the national flag," Yadav said. "Why was the national flag not being hoisted from the Nagpur headquarters of the Sangh? The BJP and RSS are engaged in spreading confusion among people," he said.
Also read: Destruction of democratic values causes anarchy, not population: Akhilesh
Yadav said the week ahead of Independence Day will be dedicated to the memory of the freedom movement during which people should pay homage to the martyrs, the Indian Constitution, and the democratic system. He also called August 9 a historic date, saying this was the day when Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India movement in 1942.
He said that the dream of August Kranti was to establish the rule of farmers, labourers, and youths in the country to ensure everyone a life of rights and dignity. The responsibility of realising this dream, and protecting and re-establishing the constitutional values and ideals of the national movement, has again fallen on the common citizens and socialists, he said.
The SP chief said that the commitment of his party towards democracy and the Constitution is well known and co-opting of the national flag by the "power hungry" could not be accepted. Meanwhile, preparations to give a grand look to BJP's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' event were in full swing. (PTI)
