Bharat Mata on poster for CPI meet, party pulls it out
Kottayam: Even as the controversy over displaying Bharat Mata portrait at a function in Raj Bhavan continued, a poster for Kottayam CPI conference displayed Bharat Mata holding a national flag.
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Sensing trouble, party district leadership immediately withdrew the poster that appeared on various social media platforms.
The poster was brought out in connection with the delegates' meet to be held from June 13 to 15. Bharat Mata was draped in a tricolour saree on the poster.
CPI district secretary V B Binu said it was not right to use the national flag along with the party symbol or use it along with party functions.
He cited this for withdrawing the poster immediately after it came to his notice.
The controversy began on June 5 when agriculture minister P Prasad of CPI opted out of the World Environment Day function at Raj Bhavan after governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar insisted on displaying Bharat Mata's portrait at the event.
After CPI withdrew the poster, BJP congratulated CPI's Kottayam district leadership for circulating the poster and termed it as a response to Prasad's decision to boycott the event at Raj Bhavan.
In a statement, BJP functionary N Hari said that the poster was the beginning of a big change and that it was regrettable that the Left party withdrew it and issued an explanation.
During the freedom struggle, leaders of the movement had proudly raised 'Bharat Mata ki jai' slogans, but that is not the situation now, Hari's statement added. "They are afraid to say Bharat Mata and this fear is due to vote bank politics," he alleged.
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On Monday, Arlekar paid tributes to a Bharat Mata portrait during Goa Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan. Goa Foundation Day was celebrated at the Kerala Raj Bhavan as part of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative, the governor's office said.
Earlier, Prasad, who refused to pay floral tributes to the portrait, said there was no official version of Bharat Mata according to the Constitution or India govt, and the portrait at the event was widely used by RSS.
Shortly thereafter, CPI announced a campaign of hoisting the national flag and planting saplings before it.
On June 7, CPI hoisted national flags and planted saplings at all its branches and also raised Bharat Mata ki jai slogans.
The very next day, Arlekar took a dig at the Left party saying, "Those who never thought of Bharat Mata are saying Bharat Mata ki jai. That is a good contribution. I appreciate that."
The same day, CPM state secretary M V Govindan came out in support of its LDF ally saying there was no concept of Bharat Mata as it was not there in the Constitution.
(With agency inputs)
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