Jaipur, Aug 9 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday participated in the Tiranga Yatra in Jaipur, paid floral tributes to martyrs and met freedom fighters as part of programmes ahead of Independence Day.
Nadda offered tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial and saluted the immortal martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the motherland. He later met senior military officers at the state BJP office and visited the residence of freedom fighter and former senior BJP leader Praveen Chand Chhabra to honour him.
In Jaipur, he also flagged off 10 new blood collection and transportation buses aimed at strengthening the state’s blood collection system.
Accompanied by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, State BJP president Madan Rathore, State Assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani, state in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal and other senior leaders, Nadda addressed the Tiranga Yatra from Albert Hall to Badi Chaupar.
Beginning with the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, Nadda described Rajasthan as the land of brave heroes and dedicated nation-builders. He said the Tiranga was attained through the blood, sweat and lives of millions of Indians.
The yatra, he added, is an opportunity to pay tribute to those patriots and draw inspiration from their sacrifices. Calling India the “Mother of Democracy”, he emphasised that the Tiranga Yatra is an expression of emotion that gives 140 crore Indians direction towards patriotism and complete devotion to the nation.
Recalling the history of the national flag, Nadda said India constitutionally adopted the “Tiranga” on July 22, 1947. He detailed its evolution from the 1906 Swadeshi Movement flag to Pingali Venkayya’s design presented to Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 and the final form with the Ashoka Chakra in 1947.
Saffron, he said, symbolises courage and sacrifice; white stands for truth and peace; green for prosperity; and the Ashoka Chakra for continuous progress.
Nadda credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with transforming the Tiranga from a government symbol into a people’s movement through the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in 2022.
Crores of flags have since been hoisted across the country.
Referring to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Act, 2026, he said disrespect to the National Anthem, National Song (Vande Mataram), National Flag or Constitution will no longer be tolerated.
The Union Minister also praised steps to replace colonial symbols, including renaming Rajpath as Kartavya Path, installing the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate, and renaming Mughal Garden as Amrit Udyan.
Highlighting economic progress, Nadda said India has risen from the ‘Fragile Five’ to a strong global economy, with the World Bank projecting GDP growth of 6.6% in 2027 and 7.2% in 2028. He called upon citizens to uphold the honour of the Tiranga and work towards a self-reliant and great India.
–IANS
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