Amid the ongoing tussle between the BJP and Congress, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday hit out at the Congress party for being unhappy over the state government’s announcement of Project Viveka. The Chief Minister’s comments came after the grand old party attacked the BJP-led state government for painting the classrooms in “saffron” colour.

“It’s not right to do politics on such issues. Saffron is also a colour in our national flag. Why do they (Congress) get so unhappy when they see saffron colour?” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was quoted by news agency ANI. Bommai’s made the statements after he paid tributes to the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary.

The row over saffron colour erupted in Karnataka after the state Education Minister BC Nagesh on Monday announced that nearly 8,000 classrooms across the state will be painted saffron under “Project Viveka”.

Classrooms in Karnataka will be painted saffron

Stroking a massive controversy, Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh said that under project Viveka, named after Swami Vivekananda, around 8,000 classrooms across the state will be painted in saffron. Announcing the decision, the state minister stated that Vivekananda always wore saffron and the colour would help students to think about development and innovation.

“Is saffron a colour or not? If the architect says that we can paint with saffron colour we will go ahead, it’s left to him. The government will not interfere with what the colour should be, and how should the doors, windows and stairs be. We will do it in accordance with the architect’s plan,” BC Nagesh said. 

‘Why only saffron?’ asks Congress

Soon after the announcement was made by the Karnataka minister, Congress questioned the state government for choosing the saffron colour. The party further demanded that the classrooms and school infrastructure should be painted in the colours of the national flag.

Following this, the state communications chief Priyank Kharge asked, “Why only saffron? You are the most nationalistic party in independent India so paint the classroom in tri-colour. What is your excuse? Are the government and the education departments run by architects now?”

“Crumbling Infrastructure, shortage of teachers,  increase in dropout, no textbooks, no uniforms, no midday meals, learning has dropped but the government is interested in painting schools saffron,” he added.