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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day attire triggered a political row on Saturday after Congress leaders criticised the colour arrangement of his tricolour pocket square, with some claiming it resembled the Irish flag.

 

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was among the first to comment on the outfit. In a social media post, he said, “Lagta hai sahib ne Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai. Ya phir Bharat ki jagah Ireland ka Independence Day mana rahay hain,” referring to the sequence of colours on the pocket square.

 

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also questioned the arrangement, saying the colours did not follow the saffron-white-green sequence of the Indian tricolour. She said the pocket square appeared “upside down” and resembled the Irish flag.

 

The remarks sparked a debate on social media, with several users questioning the Congress criticism and pointing out that the Prime Minister was wearing a three-fold pocket square rather than the national flag. Some users argued that the colours were intentionally arranged to represent the tricolour and that the issue was being unnecessarily politicised.

Also read: PM Modi reaffirms India's 'Viksit Bharat' vision by 2047

The debate also brought attention to the Flag Code of India and the rules governing the display of the national flag. When the Indian flag is displayed vertically, the saffron band is required to be on the flag's right, which appears on the left from the viewer's perspective.

 

Modi's Independence Day attire has traditionally attracted attention, particularly his choice of turbans and traditional headgear. This year, he wore a red bandhej turban, a tie-dye style associated with Rajasthan and Gujarat, with a white kurta-pyjama and brown jacket.

 

The attire was seen at the Red Fort, where Modi delivered his 13th consecutive Independence Day address. His speech, lasting around 75 minutes, focused on his seven-point reform roadmap, termed 'Saptdhara', for achieving the Viksit Bharat goal by 2047.

 

The Prime Minister also made a pitch to India's young population, particularly Gen Z, announcing free online coaching for competitive examinations and training for one crore youth in artificial intelligence skills.