‘It is India’s cultural symbol’: Rajnath Singh condemns Congress over controversy over G20 ‘lotus’ logo
The Union’s defense minister, Rajnath Singh, criticized critics for creating a storm over the G20 logo, which bears the symbol of a lotus.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh (center) was in Haryana’s Jhajjar on Sunday for the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Prithviraj Chauhan. (Photo: PTI)
By India Today Web DeskDefense Secretary Rajnath Singh criticized critics who have caused a storm over the G20 logo, which depicts Mother Earth on a lotus flower, unveiled earlier this week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With India set to assume the presidency of the G20 summit from next month to 30 November 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the logo, theme and website of the G20 summit, the most prominent international meeting ever hosted by India .
The Indian G20 logo places the planet Earth next to the lotus, the national flower of India, cast in the colors of the national flag. The seven petals on the lotus represent the seven continents on Earth.
After the unveiling of the logo, the prime minister took to his Twitter handle and stated that the lotus symbol in the G-20 logo is a “representation of hope”.
The lotus symbol in the G20 logo is a representation of hope. pic.twitter.com/HTceHGsbFu
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) Nov 8, 2022
However, the inclusion of the lotus in the G20 logo did not go down well, especially with the congress with veteran leader Jairam Ramesh claiming that the BJP’s election symbol has become the official logo for India’s G20 presidency and Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata party would leave no stone unturned to ‘promote itself shamelessly’.
More than 70 years ago, Nehru rejected the proposal to allow Congress to flag India’s flag. Now the BJP election symbol has become the official logo of the Indian G20 presidency! Though shocking, we now know that Mr.Modi & BJP never miss a chance to shamelessly promote themselves! — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) Nov 9, 2022
Now, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to attend the G-20 summit in Bali in Indonesia, Rajnath Singh defended the decision to include the lotus in the G20 logo to represent the Indian presidency of the world summit, claiming that it is the national flower. from India.
Rajnath Singh, who was in Haryana’s Jhajjar on Sunday to unveil the statue of Prithviraj Chauhan along with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said: “You should be aware that a logo has been unveiled related to the G20, the nations who own about 85% of the global GDP. Now, that logo has a lotus. A storm arose by some about the use of the symbol. They said it is a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
आप सबको जानकारी होगी क ि 2023 में G20 समूह की अधॠयकॠठता à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤ को करनी है और à¤‡à ¤¸ दृà¤à¥ टि से à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤ में कई ठयोजन होने है। इसके लिठ, à ¤ªà¤¿à¤›à¤²à¥‡ दिनों ठक लोगो पॠठ° धानमंतॠरी शॠरी à¤¨à¤°à¥‡à¤¨à ¥ दॠर मोदी ने जारी कियाॠ¤ इस लोगो में कमल का फूठ² à¤à¥€ है: शॠरी @rajnathsingh
— Rajnathsingh_in (@RajnathSingh_in) Nov 13, 2022
“There is a limit to which such claims must be pushed. The reality is that in 1950 lotus was declared the national flower. The government has introduced the lotus into the G20 logo as it is the symbol of India’s heritage. During the first freedom struggle in 1857, revolutionaries fought with lotus in one hand and roti in the other,” says Singh.
#WATCH | Defense Min says: “PM released logo for G20. Logo had a Lotus. People say it’s a BJP symbol. There is a limit! Lotus was proclaimed national flower in 1950 because it is the cultural symbol of India. In the battle of 1857 freedom fighters fought with roti in one hand & lotus in another…” pic.twitter.com/GmM6YMuFey
— ANI (@ANI) Nov 13, 2022
The defense secretary asked if it is justified to shoot at a political outfit just because the symbol on the G20 logo also happens to be the symbol of a party.
“Should we forget that the lotus flower is a national symbol?…Should it no longer be considered the national flower because it is a symbol of a celebration? If a party has a hand as a symbol, should it not be be used? Or if cycle is a party symbol, wouldn’t you use it? Just because it’s a party symbol? As long as our party rules, we won’t let anyone attack the national heritage,” the Union minister said.
यह तो वही बात हॠई कि हाथ à¤ à ¤• राजनीतिक पारॠटी का सि ंबल है तो लोग हाथ शबॠद à¤•à ¤¾ पॠरयोग छोड़ दें। किठी का निशान साइकिल है à¤¤à ¥ ‹ साइकिल छोड़ दे। कमल à • ा फूल à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤à¥€à¤¯ à¤¸à¤‚à¤¸à¥ à¤•à¥ƒà¤¤à ¤¿ और असॠमिता से जॠड़ा हॠ: à ॠरी @rajnathsingh
— Rajnathsingh_in (@RajnathSingh_in) Nov 13, 2022
Rajnath Singh added: “We should be happy and proud that at present such a government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working in the country, who has understood the ambitions of this country and also respects India’s cultural heritage.”
हमें इस बात पर हरॠठऔर à¤—à °à¥ à¤µ होना चाहिठकि इस समय à ¤¦à¥‡à¤¶ में पॠरधानमंतॠरी à ¤¶à¥ री नरेनॠदॠर मोदी कॠ‡ नेतृतॠव में ठक ठसी सरठ• ार काम कर रही है जिसने इ à ¤¸ देश की आकांकॠषाओं कॠ‹ समठा है और सांसॠकृतिक à ¤µà¤¿à¤°à¤¾à¤¸à¤¤ को à¤à¥€ समॠमान à¤¦à¤¿à ¤ ¯à¤¾ है: रकॠठा मंतॠरी — Rajnathsingh_in (@RajnathSingh_in) Nov 13, 2022
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi will make a three-day visit to Bali in Indonesia to attend the G20 summit. The Prime Minister is expected to set out at the summit India’s perspective on tackling key global challenges in health, economic recovery after the pandemic, and energy and food security.
