Mumbai, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of increasingly turning Independence Day celebrations into political spectacles, alleging that national symbols and patriotic events are being used for political gains.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana on Saturday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said Independence Day continues to be celebrated across the country, but argued that over the past decade the national occasion has acquired a distinctly political and festive character, appearing increasingly associated with the ruling BJP and the Sangh Parivar.
The editorial questioned the political significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice of traditional turbans and attire during his Independence Day appearance at the Red Fort, suggesting that such choices were influenced by forthcoming state elections.
It also criticised initiatives such as the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ and ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’, alleging that the BJP was using the national flag and patriotic sentiment to project itself as the principal champion and protector of the Tricolour.
“Leading up to the celebrations, the party conducted the widespread ‘Tiranga Yatra’ initiative with extensive publicity. The grandly organised rallies aimed to portray the ruling party as the primary creators and protectors of the Indian tricolour, presenting the spectacle as though the national flag were being unfurled in India for the very first time,” the editorial said.
The Thackeray camp drew a comparison with the freedom struggle, claiming that the BJP’s parent organisation was absent from the movement and alleging that organisations that had historically shown little affinity for the national flag were now prominently embracing it.
The editorial also referred to large rallies and displays, including a 700-foot Tricolour being paraded through Nagpur. It questioned the historical record of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), pointing to the absence of the national flag at its Nagpur headquarters for years after Independence.
The Uddhav Sena further alleged that the BJP’s use of the Tricolour, ‘Vande Mataram’ and Independence Day events had intensified amid growing political pressure, including protests at places such as Jantar Mantar and challenges faced by the ruling party across the country.
“In 2014, supporters proclaimed the Narendra Modi government’s arrival as the true dawn of Indian Independence. Today, facing shifting public sentiment, those who once viewed the flag as an official formality now spend substantial funds on cutouts, rallies, and countrywide events to bolster their public standing,” the editorial said.
The allegations were made by the Uddhav Sena in its party mouthpiece and represent its political position.
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