On November 13, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the lotus is more than just a party symbol; it is also linked to India’s cultural identity, as he slammed those stirring up controversy over the presence of the flower’s image on the G20 logo.
On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the logo. The opposition Congress had accused the BJP of using a lotus as its election symbol.
“One is pained that a controversy is created around symbols of our country’s culture and those connected with its cultural identity,” Mr. Singh said at an event.
Mr. Singh claimed that the lotus is the national flower and is associated with India’s cultural identity.
“On seeing the lotus flower (on the logo), some people created a row. They said lotus flower is BJP’s poll symbol. There is a limit of making accusations,” He said, blaming Congress for causing a controversy.
Mr. Singh was speaking to a crowd after unveiling a statue of legendary warrior Prithviraj Chauhan in Haryana’s Jhajjar district.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the Chief Minister, and State BJP chief O.P. Dhankar was also present.
“The truth is that the Government of India, in 1950, had declared lotus as a national flower. And they did so because lotus is a symbol of our cultural identity,” Mr. Singh explained.
“In 1857, during the country’s first war of independence, those who were taking part in it were carrying bread in one hand and lotus flower in the other. Should we forget this lotus flower? Did the Prime Minister commit a crime [by launching lotus as a logo for G-20]?”
“A ruckus was created over this. Just because it is any party’s election symbol, should we leave it and cancel the recognition of lotus as India’s national flower,” Mr. Singh asked.
On December 1, India will take over the presidency of the powerful grouping from the current chair, Indonesia. The G20, also known as the Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum comprising the world’s major developed and developing economies.
After the Congress chastised the government over the flower image in the G20 logo, the BJP fired back, claiming that the lotus was declared the national flower by the then-Congress government in 1950 and questioning why the grand old party chooses to “denigrate and undermine” every national symbol.
Mr. Singh said of the Congress’ election symbol, “If any party’s poll symbol is hand, should the use of this word be stopped. If any party’s poll symbol is a cycle, should we not sit on a bicycle, just because it is an election symbol”.
He said some people are such that all those things which are connected with India’s cultural identity “they try to avoid them”.
The BJP-led government will not allow anything to interfere with our cultural identity “no matter how great a sacrifice we have to make for this,” he said.
He questioned whether India, which believes in “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), could survive without such an identity.
