9 hours ago
Saffron flag should replace Tricolour: BJP leader
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive member N. Sivarajan kicked up a controversy by demanding that the party's saffron flag be made Indian national flag in place of the Tricolour.
Mr. Sivarajan made the controversial remarks at a protest organised by the BJP in connection with the Bharat Mata issue here on Saturday.
He said that the Congress should use green flag and its national president Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, whom he said were ignorant of Indian history, should use the Italian flag.
Mr. Sivarajan said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] could use the green and white flag, and the saffron flag of the BJP should be made the Indian flag.
Targets Sivankutty
The BJP leader also targeted General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, derisively calling him 'Savamkutty.'
He also demanded that political parties be banned from using flags similar to the national flag. Mr. Sivarajan, who is currently a municipal councillor of the BJP, made floral tributes to a photo of Bharat Mata holding the saffron flag at Fort Maidan here.
The Congress took out a protest against the BJP leader for insulting the national flag. The Congress demanded that sedition charges be slapped on Mr. Sivarajan for insulting the Tricolour. District Congress Committee president A. Thankappan inaugurated the protest.
Files plaint
Congress district vice-president Sumesh Achuthan filed a complaint to the District Police Chief seeking stringent action against Mr. Sivarajan for insulting the national flag under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971.
BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, however, refused to respond to Mr. Sivarajan's comments about the national flag.
