Govt. distributed substandard flags: AAP, BJP hits back

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has “looted” crores of rupees under a “Tiranga scam” in Delhi, claiming that the government-selected company supplied “substandard flags” for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. The BJP hit back by terming the claims “false”.

Senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Delhi government allocated ₹4 crore to distribute seven lakh national flags under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, but instead of the tender-mandated size, more miniature flags were supplied. He also alleged that the cost of each flag was fixed at ₹60, but a company selected by the government delivered substandard flags worth ₹15. 

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Singh alleged that each flag was to be 900 mm x 1,350 mm in size, supported with a 6-foot pole. “But the self-styled nationalists of the BJP even committed fraud in the flag and the pole. The flags supplied were reduced to 711 mm in length and 508 mm in width, while the pole was cut down from 6 feet to 4 feet. The BJP government committed a scam in the name of the flag,” he said.

“How can any party, in the purchase of the Tiranga – the pride and honour of India – commit a scam? But this is what the BJP has done. The Delhi BJP government under CM Rekha Gupta has committed corruption in buying the Tiranga,” he added.

Taking to X, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, “Politics on the Tiranga, business on the Tiranga, and now a scam on the Tiranga. Such scamsters deserve to face sedition charges.”

Responding to allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor claimed that for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the Delhi government procured flags through a complete tender process, strictly following rules, and the purchase was done via a government portal.

The GAD (General Administration Department) finalised the procurement contract on August 8, and all purchases were made as per regulations, he added.

“[AAP leader] Sanjay Singh is a merchant of lies. The AAP party, which never celebrated the Tricolour Festival, is now raising false questions about the Delhi government’s transparent ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. The people of Delhi have not forgotten the propaganda scam under the name of the Tiranga campaign by the [Arvind] Kejriwal government in 2022,” he said.