Congress Attacks Modi Government On G20 Logo; 'Lotus Declared National Flower By Nehru Regime In 1950', Responds BJP

The Congress today (9 November) attacked the government over 'lotus" being part of the G20 logo unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.

According to Congress, lotus, which also happens to be Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) election symbol, has been included in the logo design so that the ruling party could promote itself.

Reacting to the unveiling of the logo, Congress' general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, tweeted, "Over 70 years ago, Nehru rejected the proposal to make Congress flag the flag of India. Now, BJP's election symbol has become official logo for India's presidency of G20! While shocking, we know by now that Mr.Modi & BJP won’t lose any opportunity to promote themselves shamelessly!"

In response to Ramesh's allegations, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Lotus was declared the national flower in 1950 by the then Congress Govt. Jairam was born in 1954. God alone knows why the Congress party chooses to denigrate & undermine every national symbol even as it is desperately out to ‘jodo’ itself."

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the G20 logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag — saffron, white and green, and blue. It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges.

He said, "The world is going through the after-effects of a disruptive once-in-a-century pandemic, conflicts and lot of economic uncertainty. The symbol of the lotus in the G20 logo is a representation of hope in these times. No matter how adverse the circumstances, the lotus still blooms".

Congress's criticism of the G20 summit logo could not be more misplaced. The party has practically denied existence of lotus as the national flower, which pre-dates BJP's existence.

Moreover, it once again points to the party's eagerness to put down national interests over domestic politics, considering that India is hosting the multilateral G20 summit next year. This is a moment which required parties to rise above partisanship.

(With inputs from PTI)