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‘Why not peacock, tiger?’: Opposition-BJP lock horns over staff uniforms for new Parliament
Parliament staff to sport specially designed uniform as they move to new building. Opposition aggrieved over the use of ‘lotus’ motif on the uniform.
Opposition parties on Tuesday gave a sharp reaction at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government over reports of Parliament staff sporting new uniforms as they move to the new Parliament building next week. The uniform will reportedly have lotus motif on it, which is the national flower of India as well as the symbol of the saffron party.
Senior Congress leader Manickam Tagore questioned the rationale of only using lotus instead of the national bird, peacock, or the national animal, tiger, to be embossed on the uniform.
Also read: Special Parliament session: Staff to don uniform with Indian touch
“Why lotus only? Why can’t peacock or why can’t tiger? Oh they’re not BJP party election symbol. Why this fall sir @ombirlaota,” Tagore, who is the Congress Lok Sabha whip, asked on X (formerly Twitter).
Apart from shirts with lotus motif, the uniform will include Manipuri headgear for marshals of both the Houses, along with sarees with new designs for women officials, to give an ‘Indian’ touch. Men will also wear cream-coloured jackets, khaki trousers.
Officers from all five key branches of the Parliament secretariat—reporting, table office, notice office, legislative branch and security—will sport new uniforms in this session, as will the marshals.
Tagore also alleged that BJP had earlier did a similar thing with the G20 symbol. “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,” he said.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged that BJP is trying to turn the Parliament into a 'political arena' with this move.
"By printing the 'Lotus' symbol on uniforms of Parliament staff, the BJP is trying to turn our 'Temple of Democray' 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 an NCP spokesperson.
Dismissing the charges, the BJP said lotus is India's cultural heritage and this flower only stands for ‘symbolism’ to Opposition. “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,” a BJP spokesperson said.
