New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared a viral video that shows the poor being forced to buy the national flag for Rs 20 at a ration shop and accused the government of insulting the tricolour.
“Tricolour is our pride, it resides in every heart… Nationalism can never be sold, it is very shameful that instead of giving rations, Rs. 20 is being extorted from the poor in the name of tricolour. Along with the tricolor, the BJP government is also attacking the self-respect of the poor of our country,” Rahul Gandhi said in a Facebook post.
BJP MP Varun Gandhi also shared the video, and called the incident ‘shameful’.
“It would be unfortunate if the celebration of the 75th anniversary of independence becomes a burden on the poor. Ration card holders are being forced to buy the tricolor or their share of ration is being deducted instead. It is shameful to collect the price of the tricolour, which resides in the heart of every Indian, by snatching the morsels from the poor,” said Varun Gandhi, a BJP MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.
The viral video from Karnal, Haryana shows people outside a ration shop who were forced to buy the national flag for Rs. 20, even though they said they did not have the money. The shopkeeper said they have been asked not to give rations to those who do not buy the national flag.
National flags are being sold across the country by state and central governments to hoist as a part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
