The row reflects a broader political clash in Kerala over Hindutva symbolism at state events. On Saturday, CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani accused Governor Arlekar of turning Raj Bhavan into an "RSS shakha."
Published Jun 21, 2025 | 10:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 21, 2025 | 10:50 PM
BJP state unit's Proud of Bhrat Mata programme at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday
Synopsis: The row over the Bharat Mata portrait at Kerala Raj Bhavan deepened Saturday after BJP leader N. Sivarajan declared the national flag should be replaced with a saffron one. His remarks, made during a BJP protest in Palakkad countering CPI(M) and Congress opposition to the portrait, triggered public outrage and police complaints
The ongoing controversy over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait at Kerala Raj Bhavan escalated on Saturday, after a senior BJP leader’s provocative remarks sparked fresh outrage and police complaints.
The incident unfolded at a protest programme organised by the BJP state unit in Palakkad, part of their statewide ‘Proud of Bharat Mata’ campaign.
BJP Palakkad district unit conducting the Proud of Bharat Mata programme.
The event was a counter to protests led by the CPI(M) and Congress against a Bharat Mata portrait featuring a saffron flag — widely associated with the RSS — that was displayed at a recent Raj Bhavan function.
However, the event took a contentious turn when N. Sivarajan, former BJP national executive member and current Palakkad Municipal Council member, publicly declared that the Indian national flag should be replaced with the saffron flag.
“It is my personal opinion that the tri-colour national flag should give way to the saffron flag,” Sivarajan stated.
He went on to allege that the Congress party should adopt a green flag, targeting its top leadership Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, suggesting they carry the Italian flag instead. He further remarked that the CPI(M) could use a green and white flag, while asserting that the BJP’s saffron flag deserved to be declared India’s national flag.
The incendiary comments triggered swift political backlash.
Palakkad Congress district vice-president Sumesh Achuthan lodged a formal complaint with the Palakkad District Police Chief, demanding action under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, for allegedly insulting the national flag.
“This is a grave insult to the dignity of our national flag and constitutional values,” Achuthan said.
The controversy is part of a larger, ongoing political row in Kerala over the increasing display of Hindutva symbolism at official events.
On Saturday, CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani carried a scathing editorial, accusing Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar of converting the Raj Bhavan into an “RSS shakha” by promoting saffron imagery.
The editorial pointed to the portrait featuring Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag at a recent Scouts and Guides Rajya Puraskar ceremony — which prompted Education Minister V Sivankutty to walk out in protest — as evidence of this shift.
Reiterating the CPI(M)’s stand, the editorial argued: “The Governor’s actions amount to naked political propaganda and a brazen violation of constitutional values. He is replacing pluralism with RSS imagery.”
Quoting Rabindranath Tagore’s 1909 vision of a plural India where no community is alien, the piece warned that the country’s rulers still lacked “racial maturity,” privileging Manusmriti over the Constitution.
The editorial connected the developments to what it described as a broader Sangh Parivar strategy to amplify Hindu nationalist sentiments ahead of the RSS centenary.
Adding to the criticism, Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the Governor was blurring the lines between constitutional responsibility and partisan loyalty.
“The Governor’s Raj Bhavan is an administrative headquarters, not an RSS outpost. It would be good for those holding constitutional positions to learn from Prime Minister Modi and President Droupadi Murmu — both BJP members — who display the Indian national flag in their offices and official residences, not the saffron flag,” Chennithala said.
He asserted that the image of Bharat Mata carrying a saffron flag was not recognised by the Indian Constitution and remained a political symbol of the Sangh Parivar.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
