Mangaluru: Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Assembly U T Khader said the decision to allow the polyester cloth material as per an amendment to The Flag Code of India, instead of Khadi for the tricolour, is an insult to the freedom movement of the country.

The tricolour is not just a piece of cloth. It has its own sanctity and emotions attached to it, he said.

It is a symbol of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters. The government should protect the sanctity of the tricolour, he demanded.

When the British introduced polyester clothes in India, Mahatma Gandhi had given a call for Swaraj and Swadeshi to encourage the production and exclusive consumption of hand-spun, hand-woven cloth of khadi. Khadi and charkha were a symbol of patriotism and freedom struggle. It was used to overthrow the British administration in the country, he told reporters.

All the governments had been giving emphasis to khadi and promoting it. During the 75th year of Independence, the Centre should have given emphasis to khadi by giving a call to citizens to wear khadi and promote it, he said.

The government should announce sites and houses for poor shelterless people in the country as a part of the 75th year celebrations, he demanded.

The Central government only speaks of promoting ‘Swadeshi’, but, while implementing it promotes ‘Videshi’, by allowing the import of polyester materials for manufacturing the tri colour as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme, said Khader.

Is it to help China? he asked and added that the Centre should review its decision on the use of polyester material for tricolour and promote khadi.

'No proper guidelines'

Stating that the Centre has asked all houses and business establishments to hoist the tricolour as part of 'Har Ghar Tiranga', Khader said there are no clear guidelines on the same.

There is no proper supply of the tricolour. If there are 1,000 to 2,000 houses in a village, only 300 tricolours are supplied, he said.

Even the recent meeting chaired by District In-charge Minister Sunil Kumar failed to issue proper guidelines. Several tricolours that were supplied to the district are defective in nature, he added.

Even the price of the tricolours sold in post offices, banks and other places varies. The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ should not be restricted to promotion alone, it should be implemented effectively, he said.