Did Congress ‘disrespect’ saffron at Udaipur conclave? Misleading image viral

Congress party’s three-day conclave, Chintan Shivir, began in Udaipur on May 14. It was held to strategise about the next round of assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On the same day, several social media users shared an image from the event and alleged that the Congress party promoted the colours of the Pakistani national flag by installing green and white cloth on the roof of the tent and saffron-coloured carpets on the floor.

Ambuj Bharadwaj, a journalist at RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, wrote, “Pakistani national flag’s both colours are above bhagwa colour.”

ऊपर पाकिस्तान के झंडे का दोनों रंग और नीचे भगवा रंग!

ये राजस्थान के उदयपुर में चल रहे कांग्रेस पार्टी के चिंतन शिविर की तस्वीर है !! pic.twitter.com/ErpmSfzoOI

— Ambuj Bharadwaj (@Ambuj_IND) May 14, 2022

BJP Delhi’s spokesperson Anuja Kapur quote-tweeted Bharadwaj’s tweet. (Archived link)

ऊपर पाकिस्तानी रंग और नीचे भगवा , कांग्रेस शिविर की सच्चाई https://t.co/VfNcr0K3fN

— Anuja Kapur (@anujakapurindia) May 14, 2022

Several pro-BJP Facebook accounts have made this claim as well, including BJP politician Virendra Pal.

Misleading image

The viral image shows Congress leaders sitting in a roundtable setting. They are sitting underneath a tent set up. The colours visible in the viral image are the roof (green and white), backdrop and seating arrangement (white), and carpet (saffron).

On May 14, Congress tweeted several images and video from the same conclave. One of the tweets includes the viral image besides three other images. The fourth image shows the entire roof of the tent, which includes all three colours of the Indian flag.

Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi presides over a meeting of AICC General Sectaries, In-charges, PCC Presidents & CLPs. pic.twitter.com/f36hChOv85

— Congress (@INCIndia) May 14, 2022

A comparison between the viral image and another image by Congress shows the identical elements (in number stamps) and the presence of saffron roof shade in the latter (highlighted using an arrow).

BJP members and supporters, therefore, falsely claimed that Congress disrespected the colour saffron (associated with Hinduism) and installed a tent that comprised the colours of Pakistan’s national flag.