Kolkata, June 22 -- The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has demanded that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) be invoked against senior BJP leader and former National Council member N Sivarajan, after he allegedly called for replacing the Indian national flag with the saffron flag associated with the BJP.
The TMC termed the remarks "seditious" and accused the BJP of endorsing an anti-democratic ideology through its silence.
Taking to social media platform X, the TMC posted: "Veteran @BJP4India leader and former National Council member N. Sivarajan has openly called for replacing the Indian National Flag with the BJP's saffron flag. This is sedition, and UAPA must be invoked. Not a single word of condemnation from BJP's top brass. Why? Because Sivarajan only said out loud what the BJP truly believes." The remarks in question were made by Sivarajan during a BJP meeting in Alappuzha, Kerala, where he reportedly said: "One day, we should replace the tricolour with the saffron flag. this is the flag of our heritage and identity."
The statement has triggered sharp criticism from multiple quarters, with many pointing to the potential legal consequences of advocating for the replacement of the Constitutionally-recognised national emblem. The TMC further accused the BJP of using such rhetoric to "erase India's pluralism", "undermine the sacrifices of our freedom fighters" and "distort history" to impose "a one-party, one-ideology regime on a diverse, democratic nation".
While Opposition leaders and legal commentators have echoed concerns about the seriousness of the statement, the BJP's central leadership has so far remained silent, fueling speculation about internal ideological alignment.
The controversy has reignited debates over national identity, constitutional values and the rising tension between political symbolism and legal accountability in India's current political landscape.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.