Karnataka BJP office sells poorly stitched tricolour

Distorted and poorly stitched flags are being sold by the state BJP at its headquarters in violation of the Flag Code of India.

On July 31, Minister S T Somashekar inaugurated a stall at the party office in Malleswaram to sell the tricolour to the public as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to mark the 75th year of Indian Independence.

The BJP has set a target of hoisting 75 lakh flags across Karnataka, including 10 lakh from its state headquarters in Malleswaram.

The Union government amended the Flag Code of India on December 30, 2021, to allow the production of polyester and machine-made national flags for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

While the flags sold from the BJP office are made from polyester, the party has also taken some liberties.

As per the Flag, the tricolour should be rectangular in shape. It can be of “any size but ratio of the length to the height (width) should be 3:2”. Secondly, Ashok Chakra should be placed at the centre. Thirdly, three horizontal stripes (saffron, white, green) should be in equal proportion.

During a visit to the state BJP office, DH found that many of the flags being sold were neither rectangular in shape nor did they conform to the 3:2 ratio. Some placed the Ashok Chakra away from the centre. In some flags, the green stripes are larger than the saffron and white ones.

The quality is so poor that the loop of the flag has been stitched over, blocking the space to insert the stick. Many flags appeared badly tailored.

Each of these flags is being sold for Rs 25, to be paid in cash. No card/UPI payment is accepted. No receipt is given. The buyer must give their name. The defects notwithstanding, the flags seem to be selling like hot cakes.

“Sales are good and most people are buying in bulk,” a party worker said.

“We have already sold about 3 lakh flags from our office,” said N Ravi Kumar, party MLC and general secretary in charge of the Tiranga campaign in Karnataka. While Kumar claimed he hadn’t noticed any manufacturing defects in the flags, he promised to “look into” the distorted versions of the flag. He said flags had been supplied by different vendors and some party workers had volunteered to stitch them.

“We are buying it for Rs 25 and selling it at the same rate. We are not charging anything for transportation, etc,” he said. A legal expert said some of the flags being sold by the ruling party “clearly violate” the guidelines stipulated in the Flag Code of India.