Opposition takes a sharp attack on central government over Parliament staff wearing new uniforms as they move to new Parliament building next week. The new uniforms have lotud motif on it which is country’s national flower as well as Bharatiya Janata Party’s symbol.
Why there was only lotus and not national animal, tiger; national bird, peacock on uniform, said Senior Congress leader Manickam Togore.
Alongside the lotus motif on shirts for leaders, there will be newly designed sarees for women officials giving ‘Indian’ touch and men will wear khaki trousers, cream-coloured jackets. For the marshals of both houses the uniform will include Manipuri headgear.
Officials from all the five branches of Parliament will also wear new uniforms during this session.
Mr. Tagore further alleged the saffron party made such an attempt in G20 as well.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged that BJP is trying to turn the Parliament into a ‘political arena’ with this move. “In the G20 also we did it and now also we are doing it and then we will say it is a national flower. This kind of pettiness is not right. Hope the BJP grows up and not make the Parliament a one-sided partisan thing,” said the Congress leader.
“By printing the ‘Lotus’ symbol on uniforms of Parliament staff, the BJP is trying to turn our ‘Temple of Democracy’ into a political arena…The BJP is misusing the Parliament for personal propaganda. The August House belongs to the people of India, not to a political party,” said another leader from Nationalist Congress Party.
Meanwhile, the BJP has denied all the allegations saying that the lotus symbol is India’s cultural heritage.
Further referring the Opposition, the saffron party said, “For them, lotus stands for symbolism, for us it is a cultural symbol. Lotus has been mentioned in our Puranas, Vedas, it is part of the Indian ethos”.
