‘Ireland’s Independence Day?’ Congress mocks PM Modi over Tricolour pocket square

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tricolour pocket square he wore during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.Congress leader Pawan Khera shared a picture of Modi's outfit on X and sarcastically questioned the design of the pocket square, suggesting that it resembled the Irish tricolour.In his post, Khera wrote, "Lagta hai sahib ne Urdu mein Tiranga pehna hai. Ya phir Bharat India ki jagah Ireland ka Independence Day mana rahay hain. (Looks like the sahib is wearing the Tricolour in Urdu. Or perhaps, instead of India, he is celebrating Ireland's Independence Day)."The remark came as India marked its 80th Independence Day, with this year's celebrations being held under the theme 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047'.Modi delivered his 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort, continuing a tradition that began with his first such speech in 2014.For the occasion, the Prime Minister wore a red safa featuring yellow and white Bandhani patterns, along with a white kurta and pyjama. He completed the outfit with a brown Nehru jacket and a tricolour pocket square.Modi's Independence Day attire has become a recurring point of interest over the years. Since 2014, his colourful turbans and safas have reflected different regional textiles, designs and elements of India's cultural heritage.His choice of headgear has also attracted attention from fashion enthusiasts and those interested in India's traditional craftsmanship, making his Independence Day appearance a subject of discussion beyond the political events of the day.