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Yogi Adityanath leads saffron surge in Uttar Pradesh assembly
Most ruling BJP members sported saffron attires when the 17th Vidhan Sabha gathered to elect a speaker on Thursday
Saffron was the dominant colour in the majestic hall of the state assembly in Lucknow on Thursday as members of the 17th Vidhan Sabha assembled to elect a new speaker.
Taking a cue probably from the saffron-clad chief minister Yogi Adityanath, most of the BJP members came to the assembly wearing attires of the colour often associated in India with Hindu monks and religious leaders.
Many on the treasury bench were decked up in saffron kurta-pyjama and a matching jacket, while some others made their presence felt with a scarf of the same colour.
The 403-member Vidhan Sabha has 312 BJP members. With its allies, the strength of the ruling conglomerate is 325.
Thursday being Navratra, even some opposition members were clad in ‘yellowish’ or saffron outfits. They included former minister and independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap alias Raja Bhaiya.
Members, however, parried a question on saffron domination. But speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit said people of the country had adorned saffron since ages.
“The people of this country have a liking for saffron since ancient times. So, there is nothing wrong in it,” said Dixit when asked about the saffron tinge in the Vidhan Sabha.
“But these are my personal views,” he added in the same breath.
This is not the first time that most of the members were seen wearing a particular colour.
White ‘kurta-pyjama’ was the apparent dress code for the leaders when the Congress was in power in the state for most of the post-independence years till 1989.
Bahujan Samaj Party members often put ‘blue caps’ whenever they hold a protest in the house. As chief minister, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had prescribed white kurta-pyjama with a black jacket as the dress code for the party leaders.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal members have often carried green banners or placards to raise issues in the house.
