Tussle Over New Parliament Once Again: New Staff Uniform In Question Now

In response to reports that Parliament workers will be moving to a new Parliament building next week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government received a strong rebuke from opposition parties on Tuesday. The lotus flower, which is both the national flower of India and the saffron party’s election symbol, would reportedly be embroidered on the staff uniform of the new parliament.

Question is why Lotus only on new Parliament Staff Uniform

Manickam Tagore, a senior member of the Congress, questioned the decision to simply emboss the lotus flower on the uniform rather than the national animal or bird, the tiger.

“Why lotus only? Why can’t peacock or why can’t tiger? Oh they’re not BJP party election symbol. Why this fall sir @ombirlaota,” Tagore, who is the Congress Lok Sabha whip, asked on X (formerly Twitter).

Congress attacks BJP over lotus motif in new Parliament staff uniform — ‘Why not a peacock?’ https://t.co/35XBrB5fho via @theprintindia

— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳✋மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) September 12, 2023

The designs of new Parliament Staff Uniform

Along with sarees with fresh designs for female officials, the uniform will incorporate Manipuri headgear for the marshals of both Houses in addition to shirts with lotus motifs to add an “Indian” touch. Men will also dress in khaki pants and cream-colored blazers.

This session, officers from the five major departments that make up the Parliament secretariat—reporting, table, notice, legislative branch, and security—will wear brand-new uniforms.

G20 also saw something like this…

Tagore also alleged that BJP had earlier did a similar thing with the G20 symbol. “In the G20 also we did it and now also we are doing it and then we will say it is a national flower. This kind of pettiness is not right. Hope the BJP grows up and not make the Parliament a one-sided partisan thing,” he said.

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NCP lashes BJP over new uniforms in Parliament

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) claimed that the BJP is attempting to use this action to transform the Parliament into a “political arena.”

“By printing the ‘Lotus’ symbol on uniforms of Parliament staff, the BJP is trying to turn our ‘Temple of Democray’ into a political arena…The BJP is misusing the Parliament for personal propaganda. The August House belongs to the people of India, not to a political party,” said an NCP spokesperson.

BJP cutting through allegation

Dismissing the charges, the BJP said lotus is India’s cultural heritage and this flower only stands for ‘symbolism’ to Opposition. “For them, lotus stands for symbolism, for us it is a cultural symbol. Lotus has been mentioned in our Puranas, Vedas, it is part of the Indian ethos,” a BJP spokesperson said.