‘May do same with Army’: Opposition attacks BJP for India Hockey’s saffron jersey | India News
NEW DELHI: Opposition on Thursday targeted Centre over the change in the hockey teams’ jersey colour from the traditional blue to saffron and expressed concerns that the army’s uniform could be next target. The group also accused the BJP and the RSS of trying to impose saffron across institutions. The remarks came after Hockey India unveiled new saffron jerseys for the national men’s and women’s teams ahead of next month’s FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. Hockey India has said the change was made following feedback from players and coaches, who felt the blue jersey blended with the blue synthetic turf, affecting on-field visibility.Reacting to the development, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the BJP and RSS were attempting to reshape institutions and history.“Whether they change uniforms or try to rewrite history through education policy, no matter what they do… You have seen what the youth of our country think about this. You heard what the young people gathered at Jantar Mantar were saying. This is the voice of the nation. The struggle for this country’s independence was founded on non-violence and truth; the RSS played no part in it,” she said.“The entire nation knows the reality, and those who didn’t are now realising what their true intentions are. The Congress party led that movement under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, and the very soul of this country is rooted in non-violence, truth, and brotherhood. No one can take that away—not the RSS, nor anyone else. No matter how much they sow division, incite violence, or spread hatred, the country’s soul—defined by brotherhood, mutual love, and unity—remains intact; they cannot strip that away,” she added.Congress MP Amar Singh accused the BJP of attempting to ‘saffronise’ everything.“Today they have done this with hockey; tomorrow they may do the same with the Army. How can anyone trust them? They want saffron everywhere,” he said.Calling the move ‘very unfortunate’, Singh said no political party should change symbols that carry historical significance.“Everything has its own history and significance. But they simply do not stop. What can we do?” he added.Congress leader Tariq Anwar also criticised the decision, saying it reflected the BJP’s ‘narrow-minded ideology’.“Whether it is in the field of education or other sectors, there is an attempt to impose a particular ideology everywhere. This controversy is a symbol of that narrow-minded thinking,” he said.Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad, however, said a team’s performance mattered more than the colour of its jersey.“As for the orange colour versus green, that doesn’t really matter. Performance should matter on the field. Even in cricket, we used to play in white clothes. It does not come from colours; it comes from performance,” he said.“You achieve it through your own effort. So, it is not about the colour of the clothes; it is about your ability in the sport,” Azad added.At the same time, he questioned the need to replace the traditional blue jersey.“If blue has traditionally been the colour associated with our sports, then it should remain so. Why impose a religious colour on it?” he said.
Why was the jersey changed?
Hockey India has defended the move, saying the decision was based on technical feedback from players and coaches, who found that the blue jersey merged with the blue synthetic playing surface used in international hockey, affecting visibility during matches.
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The federation said saffron was chosen after considering several alternative colours, adding that it also symbolises courage, sacrifice and national pride as one of the colours of the Indian national flag.The new jersey will be worn by both the men’s and women’s teams during the FIH Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.Former India captain Viren Rasquinha had criticised the move, saying the blue jersey represented the team’s legacy and identity, while Hockey India maintained that changes in jersey colours were not unprecedented, observing that the national team had previously worn yellow in the 2014 World Cup and sky blue in the 2018 edition.
