New Delhi: Within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Congress leaders launched a series of barbs targeting his attire and key policy remarks, with media in-charge Pawan Khera leading the charge over the tricolour handkerchief in the PM’s jacket.
Khera posted on X, saying the pocket handkerchief looked “reversed”. He wrote: “Lagta hai sahib ne Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai (seems like the lord has worn the tricolour in Urdu).”
He followed up with a second quip, saying: “or it could be that instead of India’s, Ireland’s independence day is being celebrated.” The jibe played on Urdu’s right‑to‑left script and the vertical arrangement of Ireland’s green–white–orange tricolour, contrasting it with India’s horizontal saffron–white–green, as reported by News 18.
‘Delimitation Under Garb Of Reservation’
Congress MP Jebi Mather questioned the government’s commitment to women’s reservation, alleging the BJP intends to bundle it with delimitation — a move southern states warn could shrink their parliamentary representation.
“If PM Modi and his govt are serious about women’s reservation, it should have been implemented by now. It has not been implemented yet because they have their own agenda. They want to get delimitation done under the garb of the women’s reservation bill. This is not acceptable. Congress is the party that brought women’s reservation,” she said, as quoted by ANI.
The 2010 women’s reservation bill, piloted by the Congress‑led UPA, was passed in the Rajya Sabha but lapsed in the Lok Sabha.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar reinforced the criticism, insisting on immediate reservation without delimitation linkage. “Our position was very clear: out of the 543 seats, 181 seats must be reserved for women, without any delay. But to this pointed question, Modi and his colleagues have no answer. Why is the BJP linking women’s reservation with delimitation?”, he told PTI.
‘Dimaagi Naxals’ Remark Desperate: Ramesh
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh zeroed in on Modi’s “dimaagi naxals” comment, calling it a sign of political strain. “It is a sure sign of His desperation. It is a separate matter that He ends up doing whatever these so-called ‘urban naxals’ or now ‘dimaagi naxals’ are demanding or advocating,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Speaking to ANI, he added: “he (PM Modi) had dismissed the idea of a caste census as ‘Urban Naxal’ thinking, yet a year ago, he announced a caste-based census. First, you make derogatory remarks—calling them ‘Urban Naxals’ or ‘Mental Naxals’ — but later, you accept the very demands your political opponents were making…” Ramesh described the Prime Minister as “Master Abuser in Entire Political Science”.
PM Urges Swift Passage Of Women’s Quota
In his speech — reported as his shortest Independence Day address in four years — Modi appealed across party lines for quick action on women’s reservation.
“Earnestly” appealing to the political parties of the country, the PM said: “Step forward in honour of our women, and as swiftly as possible, ensure our mothers and sisters receive 33% representation in the State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha so that they can actively contribute to shaping India’s policies.”
On left‑wing extremism, he said: “we need to identify these dimagi naxal, isolate them, and bring the youth together for a developed country.”