Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the RSS and BJP for changing the color of Hockey India's national team jersey from blue to saffron [1, 2].
The controversy highlights a growing tension between the Indian government's cultural agenda and the opposition's claims of politicizing national symbols. Gandhi said that changing the kit is not merely an aesthetic choice but a reflection of a broader effort to alter the nation's identity.
Speaking at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Gandhi said that the change is tied to the government's education policy [1, 2]. She said that the RSS had no role in India's freedom struggle and is now attempting to erase core Indian values [1, 2].
Gandhi said the country’s values of non-violence, truth, unity, and brotherhood cannot be taken away [1]. She said that no one can change India's soul [3].
According to Gandhi, the move represents an intrusion of ideology into athletics. She said politics should stay out of sports [3]. She said the jersey change is linked to a wider government agenda regarding historical narratives and the education of the youth [1, 2].
The MP said that the shift to saffron, a color closely associated with the RSS and BJP, serves to replace the established identity of the national team with a partisan political symbol [1, 3].
“"No one can change India's soul."”
This dispute reflects a deeper ideological conflict regarding the definition of Indian nationalism. By linking a sports jersey change to education policy and the history of the freedom struggle, the opposition is framing the government's aesthetic choices as a systemic attempt to institutionalize a specific ideological narrative across all public spheres, including athletics.
