Rahul Gandhi, on July 29, attacked the BJP while discussing the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. Drawing parallels from the Mahabharata, he said that there’s an atmosphere of fear in the country, adding that the country is now trapped in a “Chakravyuh of lotus,” referring to the BJP symbol.
The Lotus symbolises India’s national identity and civilisational heritage. Three of our most honoured civilian awards are called the Padma awards: the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibushan. The Lotus flower is embossed in these three Padma medallions. The National Emblem of India, an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, stands on a full-bloomed, bell-shaped inverted Lotus. The Lotus features prominently in the state symbols of Maharashtra, Haryana, Sikkim, and other states. The highest attainable rank in our Indian Army is Field Marshall. This insignia carries the wreath of a Lotus. The symbol of revolt for the valiant 1857 Uprising, also known as the First War of Independence, was Lotus and bread.
The Lotus holds a sacrosanct position in Hindu dharma, intrinsically linked with revered deities such as Saraswati, Lakshmi, Padmanabha Swami (Vishnu), and Brahma. The Bhagavad Gita’s essence lies in the concept of Karma Yoga, narrated by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Mahabharata. Here, Lord Krishna explains Karma Yoga with a simile of an unattached lotus leaf which, despite being in water, remains unaffected by the water rolling over and around it. Similarly, Jainism portrays its founders (tirthankaras) on Lotus thrones, highlighting its significance. Rahul Gandhi’s statements, disrespectful of the revered Lotus symbol, are a blatant affront to Hindu dharma and other faiths that hold it sacred.
The Lotus by Sarojini Naidu is a fascinating sonnet dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Throughout the poem, lotus is used as a metaphor to extol his virtues. Is Rahul Gandhi even aware of this? Did previous Congress governments ever cast aspersions on the Lotus? The National Film Award for Best Feature Film, instituted in 1953, is called the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus). The Lotus was showcased prominently in the symbol of the 1983 Non-Aligned Movement Summit held in New Delhi. Even the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, instituted in 1987 by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, includes a Silver Lotus trophy.
What does Rahul Gandhi have to say about the above? In his blind animosity towards the BJP, and particularly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi has lost his sense of balance. He would do well to recollect that both his father, Rajiv, and great-grandmother, Kamala, had names which meant Lotus.
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Lotus unequivocally expose his ignorance of our nation’s history and parampara. His remarks have denigrated both our nation and its cultural legacy. It is time he conducts himself with more dignity and propriety when speaking in Parliament again, whether as Leader of the Opposition or simply as a Member of Parliament.
CR Kesavan is a National Spokesperson of the BJP. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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