Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai: Row erupts as Congress mocks PM's I-Day attire

Several Congress leaders mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the colour sequence of his pocket square, claiming it resembled the flag of Ireland. It sparked a debate on social media.PM Modi during his Independence Day speech at the Red FortPrime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day outfit, particularly his tricolour pocket square, came under sharp criticism from the Congress on Saturday. Several Congress leaders mocked the Prime Minister over the colour sequence of his pocket square, claiming it resembled the flag of Ireland. However, several social media users pointed out that the intention was clearly to display the colours of the tricolour and argued that the issue should not be politicised.Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was the first to rake up the issue. "Lagta hai sahib ne Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai. Ya phir Bharat ki jagah Ireland ka Independence Day mana rahay hain (Looks like PM Modi has worn the tricolour in Urdu. Or perhaps he is celebrating Ireland's Independence Day)," Khera tweeted.Since Urdu is written from right to left, in reverse, Khera took the swipe at PM Modi. Echoing Khera, Congress's Supriya Shrinate underlined that the order of PM Modi's pocket squares did not match the tricolour's saffron-white-green sequence."What kind of style of the Tricolour is this? It's upside down. It looks more like Ireland's flag than India's," Shrinate posted.SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA DEBATE The observation by the Congress quickly drew attention on social media and sparked a massive debate. Several castigated the Congress, pointing out that PM Modi was not wearing the flag, as the Ashoka Chakra was not there, but a three-fold pocket square."It's not a flag; it's a three-fold pocket square arranged sequentially - at the front saffron, then white and at last green," a user, Santosh Parmar, who called himself a BJP karyakarta, said.Another user pointed to India's Flag Code and the rules to be followed when it is displayed vertically.Under the Flag Code, when the national flag is displayed vertically, the saffron band must be on the flag's right. Meaning it appears on the left from the viewer's perspective.Over the years, PM Modi's Independence Day attire has drawn close attention, with his turbans in particular.WHAT PM MODI SAID ON INDEPENDENCE DAY?For his 13th consecutive Independence Day speech, which lasted around 75 minutes, PM Modi sported a traditional red tie-and-dye turban. The tie-dye art form, called bandhej, is popular in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Prime Minister paired it with a classic white kurta-pyjama and a brown jacket.In his speech, the Prime Minister laid out an expansive seven-point reform roadmap, which he referred to as 'Saptdhara', for achieving the Viksit Bharat ambition by 2047. He also reached out to the country's Gen Z, announcing free online coaching for competitive exams and training of one crore youth in AI skills.However, PM Modi's warning on 'dimaagi Naxals (ideological Naxals)' came under fire from the opposition, with the Congress calling it a "sire sign of desperation".- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Aug 15, 2026 14:36 IST