Opposition up in arms as Tricolours distributed from garbage vans in Ayodhya

In an incident sharply condemned by the opposition parties, the tricolours were allegedly kept and distributed from a garbage van during a 'Tiranga Yatra' undertaken by prominent saints and seers in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

The Mayor of Ayodhya Rishikesh Upadhyaya and several other police and civil administration officials were present when tricolours were distributed among people from a garbage van belonging to Ayodhya Municipal Corporation Saturday.

The matter came to light when a video of the van with tricolours went viral online on Sunday triggering sharp condemnation from Opposition.

''The disrespect shown to the tricolour on the pretext of celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the presence of the Mayor of Ayodhya and other officials is condemnable and inexcusable,'' Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said in a post on Twitter. He also shared the video.

Akhilesh, who had been attacking the BJP over what he alleged was "disrespect" to the Tricolour, also shared pictures showing a BJP leader holding the national flag upside down. In another picture shared by the SP chief, a packet of tricolours was shown lying near the leader's feet.

Another SP leader claimed that the BJP leaders were selling Tricolours for Rs 20 to the people in different parts of the state. ''This is the true face of the BJP...tricolours lying near their feet.....selling the tricolours,'' SP leader Manish Agarwal said in a tweet.