Rahul extends support to khadi flag-makers

HUBBALLI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited the khadi flag-making unit and extended support to the protesting workers of the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) at Bengeri in Hubballi on Wednesday. Following the Centre’s action of amending the flag code and allowing polyester flags, workers and members of KKGSS, which is India’s only Bureau of Indian Standards-certified flag-making unit, have been staging protests against the move in the city.

During his visit, Rahul went through the process of flag-making and also interacted with the workers.
Speaking to the media, he said that khadi and charkha represent Mahatma Gandhi and India. “But the BJP wants nothing to be made by small and medium businesses in the country while expecting everything to be produced by those people favoured by it. The entire idea is to take money from the pocket of these people (khadi flag weavers) and put it into the pockets of their ‘favourite people. That is why they changed the flag rules,” he alleged. Several Congress leaders, including KPCC president DK Shivakumar and working president Satish Jarkiholi, visited the unit last month.

Allegedly, the said polyester flags are being manufactured at a couple of factories in Surat, Gurajat, where a Union minister’s son is a partner. Taking a dig at the BJP government’s policies in the country, including demonetisation and farm bills, Rahul charged that these were in favour of big industrialists and the government was engaged in looting the poor.